Ten
by AriesBalorPrincess
Summary: AU Story. It's been ten years since Zoe's been home. A lot has changed since she's been in Bluebell like the love of her life is marrying someone else. Can she stop the wedding? Does she even want to stop the wedding? Can she go back to the life she had created for herself in New York once the weekend is over with?
1. Chapter 1

**Hello Dearie's, this is the story that had won on the poll. Please don't fret, the other choices will get published at some point in the future. I will try to update once or twice a week, but I make no promises as I still only have my phone and tablet to write on. (Not entirely sure when my computer will be fixed.)**

 **A quick question, is anyone interested in a little Meatball oneshot? I've got an idea but I'm not sure if anyone would be interested in reading it. It will be an AU and it will be a MB/OC story.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Hart of Dixie, just enjoy writing about them. I mean no disrespect.**

 **Enjoy!**

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Zoe sat on her couch looking over the invitation in her hand. With a sigh, she placed it back on the coffee table in front of her. She's been living her dreams for the past 10 years now. The school of her dreams accepted her, and she made the move, leaving everyone and everything she knew behind her. She was on her way of becoming the doctor she told everyone that she would be. Looking back at those ten years, there are a lot of things that she would change, but many of those things she would keep the same. There were times that she had begun to wonder what it was her friends were doing. She didn't live in the fantasy world long. For the first time within those 10 years, the answer to the questions that she kept asking herself could finally be answered, but did she want to go back there? She left everyone behind, cut them out of her life. Her family the only exception. She felt horrible for doing so, but it had been hard to juggle her current life with her old life and she could only do so much without getting anything in return. Why should she try when they weren't trying? Her effort was for nothing, if they couldn't do the same.

She got up arranging her time away. She had to do this; she had to put closure on that part of her life. She had to know if she had done the right thing. Walking away from your friends was hard, but walking away from the man you loved, the very man you thought you would end up married too that had broken her, she had to know that things were okay for everyone. She had screwed up, and she knew that it wasn't going to be an easy fix walking back into their lives. She could only assume that they were going to hate her, and she wouldn't blame them if they did. Part of her felt guilty for what had happened. The other part, not so much.

She ignored the questions from her friends and her boyfriend, telling them that she wanted to do this, that even though she dreaded what was going to happen, she needed to do this. That she had things that she needed to take care of there and no matter what she'd be home when the weekend was over with, because New York was now home and Bluebell was nothing but a small town that held memories for her. Joel had offered to go with her, but she politely declined saying this was something she had to do alone. It was her mess to fix not his.

A week later saw her in Alabama. The first place she went was to her cousin's house. Parking the rental car on the street, Zoe got out, leaving her sweater in the car. It was a lot hotter here than it was in New York, and that was one of the things that she had missed during the winter months.

"I wasn't sure you were going to make it," Vivian said, pulling the front door open for Zoe before she even got up the steps.

"I didn't think I was going to either, it does make sense," Zoe replied, making it to the door and hugging her cousin tightly. "I'm guessing that I have you to thank for that."

"I am one of the only few people that know your address, and it was a favor from a certain someone's brother," Vivian informed her, the smirk her cousin wore did nothing to settle the fear that was slowly creeping up on her. Zoe looked at her waiting for more, but she didn't say anything else, instead opened the door to let Zoe into her house.

Moving away from the door, they headed to the living room where Vivian left Zoe to get them some lemonade to drink. With a blink of an eye, she was back handing a tall glass of ice cold lemonade to Zoe. "Care to elaborate more?" Zoe questioned, taking a small drink of her lemonade.

"He's getting married next month, Zo," Vivian told her with a soft sigh. She knew that no matter how many times Zoe told her she was over him. It was a lie. She could see the pain cross her cousin's face. "Everyone thinks he's making this huge mistake; they don't love each other, not really."

"And you both think that with me coming back like this, will what? Make him call off his wedding? I have a boyfriend, a life in New York. This was a stupid idea," Zoe sighed, making a move to get up.

"Don't go, Zoe. Somewhere buried down you care about him, and I know you don't want him to make this huge mistake. Go to Bluebell. Do what you intended to do, leave Sunday night like planned, but keep an open mind, you might be surprised at all the things that you've missed that you didn't even know until coming back. You need to be here, Zo. Go see your Dad," Vivian told her.

"I don't like that you tricked me into coming here, but I'll do as planned," Zoe informed her. "I should be going, give Harley a big hug for me?" She asked, standing up.

"Of course, I will. Make sure to come back around before you leave to see us," Vivian told her.

Zoe smiled, hugging her cousin one more time letting her know that she'd be back over before she left to go back home.

The drive to Bluebell plagued her more now knowing some of the information that she knew. Staying in New York was starting to sound good to her as easy as it would be to turn the car around and fly back home, she couldn't do that. She'd show up in Bluebell shock everyone because they didn't know she was going to be in town, make amends, and she'd leave Sunday night like planned and what they did when she left was up to them. She couldn't stop a wedding even if the idea of it made her heart clench, made her want to cry until she couldn't cry any longer.

Parking the car in the driveway of her childhood home, she went toward the door. It didn't feel right to walk into the house, not after so many years, but knocking on the door, that was weird to do for her. So she pushed the wrong feelings to the side and entered the house. She could smell a hint of cinnamon floating through the air, and that brought a smile to her face.

"Hey, Dad," Zoe said, leaning on the kitchen counter. Harley looked up from what he was doing a grin plastered on his face.

"Hi baby girl," he said, walking over to Zoe, pulling her in for a hug. "They said that you'd be coming, but after the last few years, I wasn't so sure, I had hope that you would. I love that you're back home."

"It wasn't easy to make the call in coming here, not after I stopped in to see Vivian." She looked out the kitchen window her mind drifting to all the times that she had made cinnamon rolls with her father. When a certain best friend turned boyfriend tried to help but made a bigger mess of things.

"Yes, such a shame," Harley spoke breaking his daughter's thoughts away from the past. He didn't like this woman who was marrying the guy whom his daughter should be marrying. If they weren't too damn stubborn for their own good, they'd see that. "How's New York? Joel? Didn't he want to come to see where you grew up at?"

"New York is as amazing as ever, Joel is good, and he did want to come, but I wanted to come alone. This is something I need to do myself," she explained. She had told Joel some of the things that happened in her past but there were things that she wouldn't tell him because she refused to bring those feelings back to the surface. Everything she had buried, deep down, belonged where it was, she had no room in her life for them now. "What do you mean such a shame?" She questioned suddenly curious.

"Don't you worry about that dear," he brushed it away hoping she'd leave it be, but that wasn't in his daughter's nature, and it was never that simple.

"I can't do that, Dad. Vivian, Jesse and now you wanted me here for a reason, and it had nothing to do with this high school reunion. I can see now it had to do with Wade, but don't you get that I've moved on? That I'm happy with where I'm at in my life? If Wade wants to marry this woman, I can't do anything to stop him because I love Joel," she told her father.

"I get that, I do," Harley sighed, figuring out how to word what he had to say because he didn't want to hurt his daughter. "I'll support you in anything and everything but the love you, and Wade shared that doesn't go away."

"No it didn't, I will always love him, but I've learned that he was part of my past and with the way things look now the most we'll ever be is friends in the future, and I'm okay with that, I have to be fair to myself and everyone else. We hurt each other to ever move on from that." That was the truth she faced every day, regrets she had to live with.

"It can be fixed, Zoe; everything can be fixed if you truly want it to be," Harley told her, leaving her alone with her thoughts.

With a deep sigh she walked up to her old room, sitting on the bed, she leaned back looking up at the ceiling slowly closing her eyes. She was here for a school reunion and that she was fine with, it was the fact that her family and the one friend she still had in town were using this time for their own ulterior motives. She wasn't the type of person to ruin a relationship.

" _Letting you go is the hardest thing I've ever had to do, but we both know it needs to be done. Holding on it's easy to do, but it's not good for either of us. I won't be; I CAN'T be the reason you miss out on things in life. You've wanted this since we were little, and I can't be the reason you don't follow your dreams. I'm letting you go because I love you. You will be the doctor you desire to be, and I will be proud of you, Zo. You told me once that love was forever and no matter where life takes us, remember that I will always love you."_

The words easily slipped from her mouth, words she knew by heart, words that were burned into her mind because she had read them countless times after she left.

She angrily wiped the tears from her face and stormed from the house. One destination in mind.

"Fancy seeing you here?" She spun around narrowing her brown eyes at him.

"It is my home; my family is here," she quipped at him, crossing her arms over her chest, ready for a fight. She refused to look at him directly not wanting to get lost to the feelings that were always there for him. She wasn't here for that. She was willing to fix things, so they could be friends but that was it.

"Coulda fooled me, Doc," he smirked, turning to walk off. "While you're in town you should meet my fiancé," he smugly told her, but when she looked at him, she could see the hurt he had been holding onto.

She wanted to scream _you're the one that let me go_ but thought better of it. "Yeah, maybe," she told him suddenly shy. This was the first step in moving forward in the direction of being friends.


	2. Chapter 2

**I'm happy to see everyone is liking this one so far. Here's the second chapter, I had most of it done so it's up sooner than expected. I wanted to add in some Zoe/Harley and a little Zoe/Brick but that will be in the next chapter.**

 **Also I promise that there will not be any cheating of any kind, not even a tiny kiss shared between Zoe and Wade.**

 **Enjoy!**

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Her first stop after her run-in with Wade on the street, which she was thankful that no one else was there to witness the little showdown between ex-lover, was the Butter Stick to get a cup of Agnes' sweet tea. The sugary drink more than sweet enough for her to actually like, but it tasted like home.

"Surprise, surprise."

She slowly turned around seeing two of her former best friends from high school. Even though she knew she would run across them at some point with the town being so tiny, she wasn't prepared for it.

"Hey," she greeted as coolly as she could muster, an apology on her tongue. However, Lemon wasn't giving her a chance to say sorry about any of it.

"Even though I had sent out the invitations and asked around for your address because it was the right thing to do, I didn't think you would be here, and I was quite okay with going another 10 years of not seeing you Zoe Wilkes," Lemon hissed, letting her opinion known, stalking to the door.

"It's nice to see you again, Zoe, maybe we can talk later?" Annabeth asked softly.

"I'd like that," Zoe smiled at her old friend. She came to make amends, and she had to start somewhere, and AB was the lesser of the evil she would be dealt this weekend.

"AB let's go!" Lemon huffed impatiently waiting.

"Sorry," AB quickly apologized, hurrying after Lemon.

Her day really couldn't get worse; she sighed walking back into the heat Alabama had to offer her. She was starting to wish that Joel had come with her despite her protests of him staying behind, it would've been nice for everyone to focus on someone that wasn't her, but she couldn't subject Joel to that.

She smiled lightly seeing one of the few people she was on good terms with walking her way.

"Looky here," he whistled. "I feel honored that you've graced us with your presence after all this time Doctor Wilkes," he smirked. She rolled her eyes at his antics.

"I hate you, Jesse," she muttered, letting him sweep her up into a hug. He chuckled at that planting a friendly kiss to her temple.

It wasn't until after she left Bluebell that she had built a friendship with Jesse as he was studying at a college near her, it was only after he finished school he went back home where she moved to the city. But their friendship had stayed intact over the years. She never asked about his little brother, and he never mentioned Wade, it had been an unspoken rule between them.

"How's town treating you so far?" He questioned, leaving an arm slung over her shoulder as they walked.

"Not good, Wade, Lemon and Annabeth," she replied shaking her head. "Oh yeah now you," she joked, nudging him with her elbow.

"You wound me, Zoe," he mocked hurt. "Two outta three surprised you're still in one piece."

"Tell me about it. Though I think I did agree to meet your future sister-in-law."

"I'll be there to witness that showdown," he chuckled. She rolled her eyes at him.

"I'm not here to make a scene, Jesse. I need to fix things with my friends here and go back to my life in New York," she told him. Though she was happy that Jesse would be there.

"We'll see about that," he told her cryptically.

"Think you have me all figured out huh?"

"I know you enough," he vaguely told her.

"Are my eyes deceiving me." She smiled lightly at who had just interrupted her conversation with Jesse.

"George, I assure you that your eyesight is as good as ever," she stated, being pulled into a hug yet again.

Even though she had left George behind, she had been able to make amends during his stint in the city. Out of the four people, she was the closet too, George was the easiest one to make amends with. He understood the itch to leave Bluebell and experience the city of New York. Not that there was anything wrong with those that didn't need to leave.

"In that case, it is good to see you again, though I can't expect you'll get a warm welcoming from a few others." He was trying to keep his humor hidden but some of it if not most of it slipped through the cracks.

"In that case, you'd be correct, good thing you became a lawyer," she joked lamely.

"One thing is for sure, I can say I haven't missed your lame jokes," he teased, lightly nudging her.

"Now I really feel loved," she pouted, though she was having a hard time wiping the smile from her face. It had been so long since she had just been herself, her friends, the ones she left behind were the only ones that knew the real her, and she wasn't ashamed to be a goof around them because they wouldn't judge her, not like the friends she had in New York.

"As you should," Jesse replied in a matter of fact voice, pulling her into his side once more. "Let's get a bite to eat and catch up, shall we?"

She was hungry, but she didn't want to run into Wade again. She knew enough that he worked at the one place, there was for them to eat at while they caught up on life. "Let's go," she agreed; she wasn't going to let her ex dictate her life while she was in town. Avoiding him wouldn't do any good. "You coming George?" Zoe questioned.

"Rain check? Lunch tomorrow sound good? I've got to meet Lemon and help get things finished for tomorrow night."

"I'll be there," she smiled, heading off with Jesse.

They laughed on the short walk, talking about a few little things. Between laughs, she was able to smile at a few townspeople, Jesse telling her ridiculous stories about each person. Her laughter died on her lips, seeing the blonde that was flirting with Wade. She rolled her eyes, following Jesse to a booth.

"Is that her?" Zoe questioned, her eyes darting from the woman to Wade. She could see that on the outside, he was happy, but one tiny glimpse at his green eyes told her otherwise.

"Yep, that's Tansy Truitt," Jesse snickered when Zoe snapped her head in his direction.

"As in the Truitt brothers?" She questioned, holding her laughter in. Jesse nodded.

"He doesn't love her, not really. It was a drunken night on a boat. The guy who was going to marry them passed out in like the first lines of the vows, so once they sobered up, they decided to wait," he quietly explained.

"When is their wedding?" She asked just as quietly, looking down.

"In two weeks," Jesse sighed. "I know it was wrong to get you here and drop this bombshell on you, but I know you wouldn't have come otherwise. And if anyone can talk sense into him, it's you, Zo," he assured her.

She shook her head. "That's where you're wrong, Jesse, I have nothing to say. I can't tell him anything because I don't know what his relationship is like so whatever I tell him he'll dismiss it." She glanced back up to see they were laughing about something. "Is it so bad that he's found happiness after everything?"

"No, it's not, but it won't end pretty. He spent so long making plans of winning you back, but he got down on himself because he didn't think you'd take him back, that," Jesse stated pointing over his shoulder to his brother, "didn't happen until he heard Harley on the phone with you talking about Joel. He was in a bad place after that he's still there," Jesse explained.

"I'm going to make amends with those I've hurt; that's what I need to do. I can't make any of them forgive me for my actions, and I can't promise that things will go how you guys want them to go. I think after this weekend you need to let whatever happens between myself and him stay that way," she told him.

"As long as you talk to him and clear the air, I'll let it go," he promised.

"Zoe Wilkes," Tom blushed, walking up to them. Zoe smiled at the younger man, whom she used to babysit.

"Look at you, Tom," she laughed, getting up to hug him. "I bet you have the ladies chasing after you," she teased.

"Uh, no, not really," he told her awkwardly, scratching his head.

"What? Why not?" Zoe interrogated. She raised a perfectly sculpted eyebrow, looking in the direction Tom was staring dreamily in.

"Who is she?"

"Wanda," Tom sighed lovingly.

"Go talk to her, Tom," Jesse suggested, holding his laughter back. Tom nodded walking off.

Zoe shook her head. She went to say something when food and drinks were being placed in front of them.

"Don't look so surprised, doc. Jesse gets the same thing every Friday, and unless that city of yours changed you that much, the chicken was always your favorite, with extra fries," he commented.

"Thanks," she told him baffled that after all the years, he remembered what her favorite dish was from the Rammer Jammer.

"Wade," she called after him.

"Yeah?" He asked, coming back.

"Think we can talk before I leave? I know it's late but I want to make amends, talk things through."

"I'm free Sunday morning, that work for you?" He questioned, scratching his neck.

She didn't even need to think about that before she was agreeing to meet him early Sunday morning.

From there things moved along nicely for Zoe and Jesse as they were able to actually catch up on the happenings in life. It was a pleasant afternoon to have. She was actually happy that she didn't have to meet Wade's fiancée, that screamed awkward to her. She may have agreed earlier in the day, but after getting the chance to really process it, she would try to find her way around meeting the woman he had moved on with.

She parted ways with Jesse and headed to the practice. She had spent so long being gone, that being home felt as if she was visiting the place for the first time. Nothing had changed in her absence but it felt and looked different than what she remembered.

"Hello, Dash," she greeted the man with a warm smile as she passed him on the sidewalk.

"Miss Wilkes, hello," he greeted returning her smile. "Do you have a moment, Zoe?" He asked, stopping her.

"Only for you, Dash," she replied with a smile, moving to the side. She had a good inkling on what he was going to ask, and she was ready to answer his questions.

"We're happy that your home, do plan on visiting more or maybe even moving back?" Those weren't quite the questions she was prepared for.

"If this weekend ends on a good note, I'll be back more than I have been, but I don't think moving back is in the cards for me at this moment," she told him honestly.

"Rightfully so," he commented. "New York is everything you've dreamt about, right?"

She laughed, nodding her head. "And so much more," she gushed.

"Now about this Joel character, he is treating you the way you deserve to be treated. We don't need to send the whole town after him do we?"

"He's a perfect gentleman; I can assure you of that," she stated. There was no way she was going to let any rumors spread around town that Joel wasn't good enough, even if they already thought that about him.


	3. Chapter 3

**Here's chapter 3 for you all. This chapter didn't go according to plan, things kind of happened that I had no intentions of ever happening, but it fits in a way that it needs to be there. I'm happy to see that I'm not the only person that likes the friendship between Zoe and Jesse. Enjoy!**

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"Hey, Dad," Zoe greeted smiling, stepping into her father's office at the practice.

"Hi sweetie, how is your day so far?" Harley asked smiling, looking up from his paperwork.

"Lemon hates me, Wade, I'm not sure where he stands, AB is sweet as ever, I don't think she could ever hate me," she laughed lightly. "Jesse and George are the same as ever. I saw Wade's fiancée," she sighed, picking at her nails. "They look happy," she commented, glancing up at her dad.

"They are happy, Zoe. Even so, being in love and being happy are two very different things. I've seen him with you and with Tansy, and it's different…" He sighed trailing off. He wanted her to confront the feelings she hasn't let herself move past. He wanted her to be happy whether that was in New York or Bluebell; whether it was spent with Joel or Wade. Even if it was spent elsewhere in the world with someone new. His daughter's happiness is what mattered to him. "It's up to you on how to handle this. Talk to him, work out what you need to do with him. You don't have to say anything about Tansy if you don't want to. Fix what you need to, honey. You are the only one that knows what's best for you," Harley told her. "Whatever this weekend entails for you; I will still support you, that will never change, but think long and hard about everything, Zoe. Make sure you're doing what you want and what's best for you," he finished, gently patting her hand.

"Thanks dad," she told him with a soft smile, squeezing his hand in return. She was uncertain on what she was going to say to Wade. There was no way she had prepared a whole speech before coming back home. It wouldn't have worked, she'd say something else than what she should have planned to say that's how it works. What was she supposed to say in a situation like this? "You are free for dinner, right?" She asked with a pout, using the one look her father could never say no to.

"I'll be making your favorite pasta," he chuckled. Zoe smiled brightly, getting up. She was starting to like that she had made the decision to come back. She was seeing just how much she had missed her father. "What are your plans for the rest of the day?"

"Track down AB, then I'm not really sure," she shrugged. She had two and half days to make amends with friends and Wade and Lemon were going to take double that amount. She didn't want to stay inside the whole time or spend all her time with Jesse. She wanted to enjoy her time being home.

"Dinner is at the normal time. Have fun, sweetie," he smiled, turning back to the work waiting for him on his desk. "Just don't cause too much trouble for your old father," he laughed.

"I make no promises," she laughed, heading out the door. "I'm sorry," she quickly apologized, bumping into someone.

"Maybe you should actually look where you're going," snapped the voice.

Zoe cringed looking to the other person. Hard to believe she was the one person she didn't want to see. She'd much rather put up with Lemon's bash her then subject herself to being alone with Wade's fiancée.

"You're right, sorry," she apologized once more, going to walk away.

"And don't for a second think that you can swoop into town and think that you can have Wade with the snap of your fingers. He's mine; you lost out the second you left," she smirked smugly.

"If you weren't so insecure with your relationship with him, you wouldn't be so worried about my intentions. I'm here to see my father, make amends with those I did wrong. I'm not here to win my ex-boyfriend over, not that I would need to, if I really wanted him back, Tansy," she informed the blonde. "Have a fantastic day," she bit out sarcastically walking away.

"What was that about?" Zoe jumped hearing the voice.

"I didn't know you were there. You won't speak a word about this to Wade. Will you?" She questioned. She felt horrible for putting him in such a place.

"I won't say a word, but I'm not so sure that Tansy will let it go that easily. Wade will know and he won't have all the details either. And for that I'm sorry, Zo," George told her with half a hug.

"Just great," she sighed, dropping her head to his shoulder. "The second I start to enjoy my time in coming back, drama like that happens," she groaned.

"You didn't have to say anything," he commented highly amused. "But is that how you feel? That you could have Wade back just like that?" He questioned, snapping his fingers.

Zoe shook her head. "I know I can't; it's not that easy. We need to figure things out. And it still wouldn't be any easier."

"Hey now, whatever she tells Wade, he'll hear you out, and he knows you; he knows the signs for when you lie, and he'll believe you. Believing in you was never hard for him, it's the whole trust issue," he informed her. "It can amaze you with what can be easy, Zo," he stated. "Play nice," he warned, slipping away.

"Want to explain why I got a call from my fiancée?" Wade growled beneath his breath, coming to stand before her.

"I don't know what she told you, but I bumped into her, said sorry, and I went to go on my way. She's the one that accused me of being here to win you back. I'm here to make amends, I don't want any more trouble than necessary," she explained holding her anger back.

"So you didn't tell her that you could have me if you wanted to?" He questioned, raising an eyebrow. This situation suddenly amusing him.

"I may have said something like that, but I didn't mean it. I can't help that she feels insecure in her relationship with you; that's in her not me. I am sorry for causing more trouble for you," Zoe apologized.

"It's alright," Wade sighed, running his hands over his face. "It's not you, Zoe. Things have been like this for a while now. There're reasons to why she is acting that way and that's on me," he confessed.

"Want to talk about it?" She questioned concerned for him. "We were always friends before anything else, Wade. There was never a time we couldn't talk. I would like to think that remains even now."

"Same here," he smiled. "But I need to get back to work. We can talk about it on Sunday; I promise," he informed her.

"Okay," she replied back, spotting the one person she had set out to find, and she was alone. It felt weird to hug him, so she settled on giving him a smile, crossing the street to sit in the gazebo overlooking the town square. "Hey, Annabeth, you free?"

"Zoe, hey," AB greeted. "I am actually."

"I'm sorry," Zoe told her.

AB shook her head, "you have no reason to be sorry Zoe. We all knew it was coming. This town has always been too small for you. Lemon and Wade they have reasons to be upset with you, but I've been thinking about it, and I don't, not really. You were closest to those two. Making your fathers see sense when they'd get into their little spats, but you did what you set out to do," AB explained.

"But that doesn't make a difference, AB. I'm sorry that I left cutting everyone but my family off, that was wrong of me. Just because I wasn't as close to you as I was with Lemon didn't mean you weren't special to me. I know we can't start over, but I would like it if we could start fresh," Zoe suggested.

"I would like that, Zoe. However, it will only work if you vow to stay in contact once you leave."

"I will; you'll have every way possible to remain in touch with me, phone numbers, address, email address, friends on all social media accounts, everything," Zoe promised.

"Deal," AB laughed, getting her phone out so they could become friends on what social media sites they had the same of.

"How are things with you, AB?" Zoe asked, slipping her phone back into her purse.

"They're good, really good. I'm in talks with Jake about having kids," she gushed. "The Belles are wonderful," she commented with a goofy grin.

"I can imagine a little you running around," Zoe laughed. "The Belles are still something I don't want to be a part of. However, I am happy to hear that," she replied.

"That's not what you said when we were little girls, pretending to be Belles," AB commented, a smile on her face at memories from their childhood.

"No it wasn't," Zoe sighed. "I don't know what changed. I just know that I don't need to a part of them to honor Bluebell," she shrugged. "I'd better go," Zoe muttered, getting to her feet, seeing Lemon approaching.

"AB let's go," Lemon demanded, ignoring Zoe.

"Lemon, I do want to talk to you before the weekend is over with," Zoe said, taking the first step into fixing her mess.

"Why should I listen to what you have to say? So you can hurt me again? Not going to happen," Lemon huffed.

"I'm sorry."

"Sorry isn't enough, Zoe. I've lost all my trust in you, and I don't think it can be earned again. You were more like a sister to me than Magnolia was, but I was nothing to you since you so easily tossed our friendship away."

"It was not like that, Lemon," Zoe tried to explain.

"Like I believe that," Lemon hissed, storming off.

Zoe sighed, walking off herself. She had thought Wade was going to be her biggest hurdle to get over, but she wasn't counting on Lemon being so freaking stubborn about it all.

"Look at you, Zoe," Brick said, startling her. "It's going to take more than one day and one little apology to make it up to her. She was crushed more by you leaving than her own mother," Brick told her. "To be fair you deserve it. She needed you when you left, and you didn't care because you were too busy being selfish."

"I didn't know it was that bad. But it's not all on me, Brick. She could've called me, came to me for those first few years I was in school, the school they knew where it was at, since there is no secret way to get there. It wasn't Hogwarts, hidden by magic. Everyone in this town knew my plans, if she needed me as much as you say she did; she could've done something about that, but she didn't; now did she?" Zoe asked, her anger getting the best of her. She was getting fed up with everyone blaming her, sure to an extent she was at fault, but it wasn't like they were jumping at the chance to talk to her when she first left.

"Woah, I can hear you all the way across town," Jesse chuckled, spinning her around, placing his hands on her shoulders. "You need to calm down."

Zoe nodded her head, letting Jesse lead her off, not waiting around to hear what else Brick had to say to her. Jesse knew the exact thing she needed, as he took her back to his place, and they watched movies for the rest of the afternoon hiding away from Bluebell until it was time for Zoe to head home for dinner with her dad. He said nothing about the rumors he heard about the blowout between Tansy or what happened with his little brother. Or what had been heard when she was yelling at Brick.

"Care to explain why Brick came into the office mad this afternoon?" However, she wasn't so lucky when it came to her father.


	4. Chapter 4

**Here's the next chapter for everyone. While I was finishing this chapter this morning, I came to realize just how much fun I'm having with the friendship between Zoe and Jesse and it sparked an idea for a one shot that I hope I'll get up for you all by the end of next week at the latest. Anyway enjoy this chapter.**

* * *

After dinner, Zoe found herself curled up with her dad on the couch, watching an old western, her dad's favorite movies to watch. It had hit hard while she was in New York how much she missed spending time with her dad, when she would see an old western on TV, but sitting curled in his arms, she had forgotten how at peace with herself, she felt. It was like everything that was going on outside the house simply didn't matter because it faded away for a few hours.

Harley wasn't mad at her for what took place with Brick earlier in the day; they had actually laughed at Brick's expense. She did, however, promise that she would personally talk to Brick, because it was easier to put the hurt, he felt off on someone else. She hurt him and didn't know she had done such a thing until she has talked to her dad about it.

"Would it be too much to ask if we could just stay like this until Sunday?" Zoe asked with a content sigh.

"I think so," Harley chuckled. "This could be fixed if you just came home or even moved closer to home," he flat out told her. He missed having his daughter close by.

"We go over this three times a week and my answer has yet to change, Dad. I'm happy with where I'm at," she responded, moving from his embrace. "I will be back to visit more often, but you also know that this is where I plan on ending my career."

"I do know that, but I simply miss my daughter," he replied.

"I miss you too, Dad," she said, kissing his cheek. "I'm going to turn in for the night; it's been a long day. Night dad, love you," she smiled, standing up.

"Night sweetie, love you too."

After getting ready for bed, she cracked her bedroom window open to let the cool night breeze into her stuffy room. Flipping the light off, she crawled under the covers, the static in her ears growing as she listened to the quiet Bluebell had to offer her. She had grown so use to loud noises all night from the city that it was harder to fall asleep than it should have been.

It had nothing to do with feeling like she had the weight of the world on her shoulders. Like she needed to save Wade from making a huge mistake, but what if he wasn't making this big mistake by marrying Tansy? What if it was just her not wanting to see how happy Wade is with Tansy? She wasn't jealous of what they had, she had moved on, found an amazing guy to be with. What if everyone else was wrong because they couldn't get over themselves? That was her biggest worries.

She didn't want to ruin her relationship with Joel, and she didn't want to ruin Wade's relationship with Tansy if it is what he really wanted. But above all of that she wanted to rebuild her friendship with Wade and fix what should not have been broken to start with.

* * *

"Uh good morning Lemon," Zoe said, walking into the kitchen confused seeing Lemon Breeland sitting at the counter. "What are you doing here?"

"It had come to my attention that you are friends with George and who am I to put an end to that, but he had made me see that I am being unfair. After all, we knew you were going elsewhere for school, I was blindsided by the fact you took a job in New York," Lemon paused. "I thought you were coming back home because you said you would be back, because you couldn't picture home anywhere else but here in little ol' Bluebell. We were sisters, Zoe. I did need you."

"If I knew that I would have been there Lemon, but I didn't know. Everyone is mad because I stopped trying, but the fact is so did all of you. It was a two-way street, Lemon. As much as I am in the wrong so are you," Zoe burst fed up with it all. "The plan had been to come back, but I got offered the job in New York, and I took it; I had to prove to myself that I could so this, that I could make it as a doctor without my dad or your dad holding my hand. I need to make something of myself before I come home and settle down. You may not understand that, but that's how I feel," she finished explaining.

"It does make sense," Lemon concluded.

"Can we now put it behind us and start over as friends?" Zoe questioned.

"Sisters can't start over Zo. Sisters fight and now that we've made up, we can gossip about boys," Lemon laughed, pulling Zoe into a hug.

"Ugh, tell me you're not going to start in with Wade as well," she sighed into the hug.

"Heavens no," Lemon nearly shrieked. "If that boy can't see she is no good for him; I firmly believe this is one mistake he needs to learn on his own."

Hearing Lemon say that made Zoe smile. Lemon was right. This was a mistake that Wade had to learn on his own.

"Thank you for that. I'll swing by later and help get things ready for the night," she suggested.

"What don't you come now?" Lemon asked.

"I've got this little thing to clear up with you father."

"I did hear about that. He means well, so don't be too hard on him," Lemon pleaded.

"I make no promises," Zoe smiled.

Once outside they walked together until they had to part. Lemon headed to the school, and Zoe made her way to the practice. Only problem Brick wasn't in, and he was going to be gone most the day.

That left her suddenly free. She had made time to clear the air with Brick before grabbing lunch to help finish with the little touches for the reunion that night. Other than Brick, she only had Wade to talk to and that was set for the following morning.

"So I was thinking that I would go to your reunion as your date." She refrained from rolling her eyes looking to her left to see Jesse crossing the street.

"I get no say, huh?"

Jesse shook his head. "Think about it, all your friends will be there with their significant others, and you'll be all alone since you made your boyfriend stay in the city."

"Maybe that wasn't my smartest move," she confessed. "You do make a valid point; therefore, I will allow you to accompany me to my ten-year reunion."

"Don't I feel honored," he smiled, nudging her.

"As you should," she teased. "I just don't understand why you were even thinking about it for. There was no one in my class that you liked."

"That's not true, there's you and my brother; that is two people," he smirked.

"True but you see your brother daily if not close to it, and I swear I talk to you more than I do my own boyfriend most days. So we don't count," she countered with.

"Whether or not you believe me, I'm doing this for you, Zoe. We're friends, and it's something friends do for each other."

"I do believe you Jesse, but what do you want in return?" She questioned.

"I need you to be my date to my brother's wedding," he confessed, rubbing the back of his neck in the same way that Wade did.

"And you couldn't have found someone else to take as your date? The last place I want to be is at your brother's wedding. Why is it you want me to go, Jesse?"

"For starters, I don't want to go stag, I've seen the wedding party and no thanks to that, nothing against them," he sighed, stuffing his hands in his pockets. "Because if we go to together we can have fun and make fun of the wedding."

"I won't ask. As fun as it would be, I'd still be alone, because you will be up there, aren't you, the best man or something?"

"Yes, but it doesn't mean you'll be alone, you and Wade share the same friends, So it'll be fine. I won't make you stay for the whole reception, after I give my speech, we can go; I swear, but I need you to do this for me," he begged.

"And what happened to Melissa? I thought you two were doing just fine."

"She wanted more than I was willing to give. Going our separate ways was the best for the both of us. And you're the only person I can ask to do this for me. Do you really want to see me suffering the whole night?"

"If I don't go I won't be seeing you suffering, Jesse," she easily pointed out. "However, no I wouldn't want that for you," she confessed.

"So you'll come, it's settled then."

"But you want me to suffer it seems," she sighed.

"How is it you will be suffering?" He questioned. "You have a boyfriend whom you love, you say that you want to be friends with Wade. Don't friends go to friend's weddings and shit?"

"Very elegant of you," she teased. "Yes they do and you're right; I love Joel, and I want to be friends with Wade. Fine, I'll go with you," she caved. "But if I find out that you're up to something else by bringing me as your date, you will have hell to pay, Jesse," she warned.

"Don't I know it," he mumbled, giving her a smile. "I'm not up to anything of the sorts. Is it that hard to believe that I want a beautiful woman on my arm?" He questioned, cocking an eyebrow.

"No," she blushed lightly, looking down. "Be at my house at 7 to get me and not a minute later," she warned.

"I'll be there," he laughed, walking away.

"You and my brother seem to be awfully close." She nodded hearing his voice. "Should I be worried?"

"What do you have to worry about Wade?" She questioned turning to face him. "Your brother is my friend; he's been looking out for me. Helping me out. So yeah I'm really close with your brother. What is it to you?"

"Nothing," Wade replied. "What was it you two were making plans for?" He questioned rather awkwardly.

"Not that it concerns you, but he's coming with me to the reunion tonight, and I guess this one does concern you since I'm going as his date to your wedding."

"What about Melissa?" Wade asked, nothing making sense. "And what's his name?"

"They broke up," she replied. "And Joel will be okay with it."

"For your sake you best hope that your boyfriend is okay with you going to your ex's wedding with your best guy friend who is the groom's brother. I hate to disappoint you, but they didn't break up," he told her, shaking his head walking away.

Zoe stood rooted in place watching him walk away, confused to his behavior. It didn't concern him on how close she was to Jesse. She was more confused now on everything going on in her life than she was before she had ever stepped foot in Bluebell. There was no way that Jesse would lie to her, not about something like that. This was his personal life; he wouldn't lie. That wasn't Jesse.

"There you are, Zoe." Her thoughts were broke when Lemon came rushing up to her in a panic.

"Breathe and calmly tell me what's wrong," Zoe told her friend.

"Everything is wrong, Zoe. Everything. I swear no one can do anything right. Everything I ordered is mixed up. I wanted blue and gold table clothes but no that was too complicated to ask for, don't even ask me about the centerpieces," she ranted.

"I won't," Zoe assured her friend. "But come on. Let's go. See what we can salvage," she said, heading back to the school, needing this to take her mind off of everything that she had learned minutes prior.


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey everyone! I know I just updated this one yesterday, but this one couldn't wait to be written. The next chapter will take a few days, as I've had it in my mind since around the second chapter and I wanted to come out the way it is in my head and it will be the talk everyone has been waiting for. Enjoy!**

* * *

"And here I thought that you didn't want me to be late," Jesse chuckled, seeing Zoe finally emerge from upstairs. "Don't be late, Jesse, she says."

He had shown up five minutes early to ensure Zoe that he knew how to tell time, and that he wasn't always running late. It turns out; she was the one running late. She was just getting home when he was walking up. He found it amusing.

"You can shut up now," she threatened. "I didn't. And this is Lemon's fault. Do you know how hard it is to talk her off a cliff? Everything was how it should have been; she was just freaking out and do you know how many times my head felt like exploding today?"

"I'm happy that your pretty little head is still very much intact, but shall we go now?" He asked, ready to get the night over with. At first, he thought it would be a good idea, but the longer he waited to actually go with Zoe the more he was starting to second guess himself. She was right when she told him that he barely knew anyone in her class.

"You okay there?" She questioned, following him outside.

"Peachy," he nodded.

"You're second guessing yourself, Jesse. You don't have to come; I can handle going by myself," she suggested, giving him an out.

He baldly would've taken the out. But, "as nice as that would be, I can't let you fend for yourself. You may have some sort of an understanding with Wade but Tansy feels threatened, no thanks to you," he chuckled lightly.

"Hey! That's not my fault," she protested.

Instead of saying anything, he pulled her close. "For what it's worth I'm sorry."

"Sorry for what, Jesse? Lying to me about Melissa? Or maybe it's getting me down here for a scheme to do with your brother?"

"I didn't lie to you about anything. Where did you hear that?"

"Your brother," Zoe stated coming to a stop outside the school.

"I actually tell you more than I tell him. I wasn't lying about Melissa. We are broken up. After everything, you don't believe me, that's great to know, Zoe," he huffed, walking off.

Zoe sighed, looking between the school and the way Jesse had taken off. She really wanted to chase him down, but she knew that he needed time to cool off, and it would do no good to run him down and force him to talk to her.

"Trouble in paradise?" She closed her eyes, pinching the bridge of her nose.

"No thanks to you. Here I thought we were able to move past this crap, Wade."

"Maybe we can't," he replied, walking away.

That gave her very little hope that things would go any better tomorrow when she gets to talk to him just the two of them.

With a deep breath, she entered the school. A smile forming on her lips as walked into the school gym. She looked for her friends, she said a polite hello to her fellow peers as she passed them.

"There she is," George greeted, the first to spot Zoe.

"Here I am," she smiled hugging her friends, ignoring Wade and Tansy.

"So I guess I'm not good enough for a hug from the all mighty doctor," Wade joked, a small sneer slipping out.

"If you wouldn't have been an ass since the day I showed up, I would consider it," Zoe snapped.

"Yeah because you've been nothing but perfect."

"Get over yourself, Wade. I'm not in the mood to listen to you complain about everything. If memory recalls, you're the one that let me go without fighting, Wade. If anyone should be upset, it should be me," she yelled, causing a scene.

"Yeah well I didn't think I would never see you again, Zoe. Silly me, I thought in a few years you'd be back for good, and we could figure things out then, but no that didn't work for you," his anger getting the best of him. He didn't want to have this out with Zoe with their peers watching them.

"How should I know that, Wade. It's not like you said anything," she softly replied.

"Would it change anything?" Wade asked, walking off.

She really didn't know if it would've changed anything or not.

"How 'bout a dance?"

"I thought you were mad at me," she commented, following her friend to the makeshift dance floor as some 80's cheesy rock song played.

"I wasn't mad at you, Zoe. I was mad that you had very little faith in me. I have no reason to lie to you about Melissa or any other relationship I might find myself in. Do I want to see you and my brother together? Yes. Am I going to push you more than I already have? No," he explained.

"Thank you for that and I'm sorry for not believing you, but it had been on my mind all day and instead of asking like a normal person, I just blurted it out."

"You wouldn't be you if you did things the normal way. You okay after that show down with Wade? I swear all of Bluebell and maybe even Fillmore could hear that one."

He was on the steps when he heard them going at it. That was one of the things he had wanted to help prevent, and because he let himself get the best of him; he ran off leaving Zoe to deal with it all on her own. What kind of friend did that?

"I will be. Let's just have fun. I did see a photo booth when I was here earlier helping Lemon with her freak out."

She wasn't going to let her little argument with Wade get her down. She was determined to have fun with her friends. Jesse didn't need to hear anymore as he let her lead him to the corner where the photo booth was set up at. Taking silly pictures was something that he knew all about.

Jesse was laughing at the walls of pictures that had been hung up from when they were in school. Making Zoe tell him the stories behind the pictures. He had tried to skip over the pictures that had Wade and Zoe in them together, but she had been okay to talk about them. It didn't bother her; they were happy memories after all.

"You freaked out so much that night; I think you were more terrified after you won Prom Queen then you had been all night," Wade chuckled looking at the picture where Zoe had won Prom Queen, and George had won Prom King.

"Yeah because I thought you were going to freak out and knock George out," she commented. "I don't remember this picture. I can remember the day; we had that horrible history test."

"I found you in the library in tears," he responded. "Unwanted tears as you had aced that test," he chuckled softly.

They had been so absorbed in memory lane that they didn't realize that their friends had snuck off leaving them alone. Tansy wasn't happy, but instead of starting a fight, she made her exit.

"It would have made a difference to know," she told him referring to his words earlier in the night. "I really thought that everyone was mad at me, and it made my decision to accept the job in New York easier, but you have to know that taking that job was about me, Wade. And I am sorry that I was such a horrible friend after I left." It was the first time she had apologized to Wade since being back.

"I accept your apology and I am sorry as well. I could've done a better job in staying friends, but for a while, I couldn't stomach it and after that I lost my nerve in calling."

"Apology accepted. I really do want to move on from all of this."

"Same here, Zoe. I'll pick you up at 6 tomorrow morning, so we can have that little chat, okay?"

"Sure but why that early?" She questioned.

"I have to show you something," he replied.

With that they parted ways feeling better about things between them. Tomorrow would be the hard talk, it did, however, need to happen. She was curious as to what it was he had to show her. Knowing him it could be anything. She really hoped it had nothing to do with Tansy.

"Did they ditch golden boy Tucker," Zoe gasped in mock outrage.

"You never think it could happen to you, and it does," he sighed dramatically. "I take it everything went smoothly with Wade. I see no blood, and I didn't hear any fighting," he joked.

"It happens once and they assume it will happen every single time," she dramatically responded, sitting down next to him. Her eyes scanned the crowd, easily falling on her two best girl friends.

"You can go join them, ya know," he suggested.

"Yeah but I haven't been able to have time with you. Tomorrow I'm spending the morning with Wade, the afternoon with Vivian and tomorrow night with my dad before I leave, and I want to spend time with you George."

"There will be a next time. Go have fun, Zo," he laughed giving her the push she needed.

"Fine but next time, I'm spending a whole day with you to make up for it," she promised, leaving a chuckling George behind as she went to her friends to dance with them.

She was having fun that time easily slipped past her. It was good to let everything go and just have fun with her friends, something she hasn't done in a long time, busy with work. She was going to make the most of it while she was home, and amends had been made.

"I should go," Zoe said looking around to see they were the only ones left. "Has. Anyone seen Jesse?"

"He went out with Wade a while ago," George let her know.

Zoe smiled her thanks and headed outside to find her date for the night.

* * *

Jesse saw his moment seeing Wade by himself and Zoe having fun with her friends, that he could slip away without being noticed and corner his brother. He had figured that Tansy had gone home, he hasn't seen the likes of her since earlier in the night and every time he spotted his brother; he was busy laughing it up with one group of people or another.

"What is it you are trying to prove?" Jesse asked, stopping Wade outside the school.

"I can and will ask you the very same thing Jesse," Wade responded. "What are you trying to play at? And what's with bringing Zoe to my wedding as your date, how is your girlfriend, Jesse?"

"I don't know what you are talking about," Jesse said, playing dumb. Wade rolled his eyes. "I'm trying to help my friend out, and I would be helping you out if you would just listen to me," he said. "I didn't lie about Melissa; things didn't work out with her," he softly explained. "Now your turn, little brother."

"Is it so hard to believe that I want things to be okay between myself and Zoe? That above everything else I want my best friend back because I miss her. I have nothing to prove, and I'm not playing some game," he said, feeling his anger bubbling up.

"What about this whole thing with Tansy? You can't be serious that you want to marry her. I can see it in you that you don't love her, so why are you putting yourself through this for?"

"Because I can't have the person I want. And Jesse I do love Tansy," Wade stated.

"But is it enough?" Jesse questioned him.

"Everything okay out here?" Zoe asked looking between the brothers.

"Everything is wonderful," Wade answered. "To answer your question Jesse, I don't know if it is or not," he sighed, going to walk off. "Remember Doc, I'll be by at 6 to get you in the morning."

"I'll be up, but do I get a hint on what you have to show me?" She questioned.

"Night Doc, Jesse," Wade bid them walking away.

"What's that about?" Jesse asked curiously, draping an arm around her shoulders, to walk her home.

"We are having a chat tomorrow morning, and he has something to show me, and as you can see he won't tell me, do you happen to know anything?"

"Sorry but I don't, he never said," he told her.

"You have no reason to be sorry, Jesse. Thanks for night, it was fun, just what I needed. Sometimes I wonder why I couldn't have fallen for you," she sighed, resting her head against his shoulder.

"Because you got over that crush you had on me when we were younger, and oddly enough we work better as friends," he told her.

"Yeah we do. That's right I was quick to get over you the second you had that date with Ally," she made a disgusted face. "Just because she was Wade's babysitter when he was like 5 didn't mean you had to date her. She was what 20 when you want out with her, you were 17."

"It's not like she was still babysitting Wade at that age and for your information, I was 18, thank you very much," he smirked. "She wasn't that bad; she wasn't anything like the rumors that spread around this little town like wildfire, the complete opposite in fact. You should know this, Zo."

"I do know this," Zoe said. "Again thanks for tonight, Jesse, it was a great night," she smiled hugging him.

"You're welcome but FYI it is what friends do for each other, and I must admit it wasn't that bad of a night," he confirmed. "Night Zoe."

"Night Jesse," she smiled, heading inside her house.


	6. Chapter 6

**Hey all, guess what? I lied, but in all honesty I thought this chapter would take longer, I was wrong. There are a few things that I didn't put in here because it felt forced if I would've placed them within this one. I'm sorry it's shorter than the previous chapters, but I like the way this one ends. Please enjoy!**

* * *

Zoe was up at a quarter to five. She couldn't get back to sleep; her eyes focused on the dark surrounding her. The more she tried not to think about what Wade had planned, the more she thought about it. She had come up with so many things that she just couldn't think what it was he had up his sleeve. Her emotions ranged from being scared to being excited. His surprises had always been the best. They never disappointed her.

Fed up with lying in bed she got up and got ready for the day. She grabbed a bagel on her way outside to watch the sky start to light up from the morning sun. Watching the sun rise in Bluebell had been one of her favorite things to see.

"Is someone anxious?" She laughed, seeing Wade waiting on the front steps for her.

"Couldn't sleep," he used as his excuse, standing up to join her. "You?" He asked, checking his watch to see it was 20 to 6. "I woulda knocked, didn't think your dad would've liked that much though."

"You're right about that," she laughed. "Same, couldn't sleep."

"As fun as sitting here is, we should be going," he told her, stealing a bite of her bagel.

"Only if you tell me why we have to go this early for?"

"We need the best light for what I have to show you, and it happens to be the early morning sun," he responded, walking to his car.

"What are you up to, Wade Kinsella?" She questioned following behind him. For a reply, he sent her a wink climbing into his car, she eyed him carefully before getting in. He drive off once they were both buckled in.

They held back from saying anything, to keep from fighting. The longer they were in the car, the less curious she got about the destination. There was only one place the way he was going. Now she was wondering why they were going there. Benny had passed away two years before she moved away for school. Benny had lost his wife when they were 8 to cancer. Zoe not wanting him to be alone everyday, made Wade come with her to visit him twice a week.

"Don't say anything," he told her, parking the car in front of the old farm house. "Come look," he said, climbing out of the car.

"What's going on, Wade? Why are we here?" She questioned refusing to go any further.

"Come inside and I'll explain on the way through the house, okay?" He asked her. "I promise we won't get in trouble for being here," he said with a little smirk, pulling the key from his pocket.

"What did you do?" She carefully asked, walking to the front door.

"Invested in something a long time ago. I thought it was about time you saw it," he shrugged, unlocking the front door.

"Wade," she started to say.

"Hold that thought," he said, pushing the front door open to reveal the foyer, a wooden bench off to the side; coat hooks on the wall opposite the bench. "You wanted a place to feel like home. A home where you could raise your kids. You never felt at home anywhere else but when we'd be here at this house. This is your home, Zoe or at the very least it once was."

The foyer led into the dining room, a wooden table and chairs in the center of the room. To the left of the dining room was the kitchen with marble counter tops. French doors led to the backyard, complete with a wrap around porch.

"You always talked about having a little garden," he said pointing to the right where there was a small area for a smaller size garden. "There's a bigger one in the main yard," he told her.

She went to say something, but he shook his head, leading her through to the living room. Dark mahogany flooring, a full-size couch and two chairs were sitting around the coffee table, an entertainment center waiting to be used sat before it all. Bookshelves along the far wall, a few books at home there. Taking a closer look she noticed they were a couple of her favorite books. She was impressed. Really impressed.

She had looked in the den and the spare room on the first floor, looking into the laundry room, which was bare. She followed Wade upstairs to where there was a second living room. A small sofa and a chair sat in front of the ceiling to floor window, overlooking a little pond, the sun streaming through the window. Another bookshelf was against a wall; a few more books scattered on three of the shelves. This room had to be her favorite one yet.

The next stop was the master bedroom, rich with warm colors, a king-size bed in the middle of the room. Dressers were pushed against the walls. The curtains were open to look out at the same pond. She really liked the walk-in closet. The ensuite bathroom was nicer than her bathroom in the city. She really loved the Jacuzzi tub. From there she took a look at the two extra bedrooms upstairs.

With the tour over with they went to sit outside on the porch.

"Care to explain what this is?" She asked softly.

"You loved this place when we were kids, and we would visit Benny. You would talk about the things you would do if you had this place."

"Which is what you did?" She asked, feeling like she already knew the answer to the question. "You fixed the place up the way I wanted it to be?"

"Yeah. I bought the place a year and half after you left, at the time I thought you would be back, and I would surprise you, but that didn't happen," he sighed softly. "Ever since we were 9, and you talked about wanting a place like this; I've been saving up."

"Wow! Since we were 9?" She couldn't believe that he had done that. That he had done all of this for her. Here she thought that he hated her for what happened, but he loved her enough maybe more than enough to do all of this for her.

"You were my best friend Zoe; I wanted you to be happy," he sheepishly told her.

"Thank you," she told him, the reasons going unsaid as he knew why she was thanking him for. It was such a sweet gesture for him to do. "But why are you showing me this now? You're not going to live here with Tansy, are you?" She really hoped that her voice didn't give away to the hurt she was in at that thought alone.

"No, I couldn't do that. This is your house, Zoe. You're free to do what you want with it," he told her handing the house key over. Refusing to think about Zoe living in the house he had once thought would be theirs with some other guy.

"I can't accept this, Wade," she refused.

He wasn't having that, taking her hand and placing the key in her palm. "It's yours," he simply said. "Always has been."

"It was supposed to be ours," she whispered. He nodded his head.

The silence lingered between them; Zoe's focus was on the key in her hand. Her mind was racing, leaving her speechless. What was one to say in a situation like this?

"Do you really love Joel? Can you picture your life with him the way we had?" He asked in a cracked voice, letting his emotions come out.

"I love him, Wade. But no I haven't thought about the future with him. Can you really picture a life with Tansy?" She asked him.

"No," he easily replied. "Marrying her while drunk was one thing, but she's not the one I want Zoe. However, if there's no chance of us being together, I need to let myself heal and that is something I can do with Tansy."

"Good! Even so, I don't know what's going to happen with Joel. I thought I was over this," she said gesturing between them, "but clearly I'm not," she sighed, shaking her head. "But you marrying Tansy shouldn't be based on me, Wade. I will not let you use me as an excuse. If you can see your life with her, then marry her, but if it feels all wrong, then walk away before either one of you gets hurt worse," she told him.

"Above all else I want you to be happy, Zoe, always have, so think long and hard about what you want when you go back home and do what feels right to you," he advised her.

"Then it's a deal," she smiled. "I never meant to hurt you by dating Joel," she told him.

"No explanation needed, I get it, Zoe. You ever think that we'll be close like we use to be?"

"No," she told him. "We've changed and we know nothing about each other now. We'll be close again but too much has happened between us for things to be the way they were."

"Maybe so."


	7. Chapter 7

"What are you going to do?" Vivian asked her cousin. She had thought it was sweet of him to do something like that, she just didn't know what it meant for either one of them. Secretly or maybe it wasn't so secret that she wanted her cousin to move back and be with Wade. From where she was standing on the outside, she could see that Zoe wasn't as happy as she once was and seeing her now after a few days back home where she belonged that happiness that had eluded Zoe was starting to come back to her. She didn't think that the city of New York was the right place for Zoe. Not that she would ever stand in the way of her cousin.

After Wade dropped her off back at home, with her dad at work, she headed off to see Vivian and little Harley, like she planned. With it just being Vivian at home, she quickly broke down and told her cousin about her morning with Wade. She needed insight on the whole thing. She had thought about going to Lemon and AB, but she didn't know how much they knew, and she didn't want it to be spread around Bluebell if no one knew anything about it. And they may be her friends once more, but she didn't want to put them in the middle of something, even if they wanted to be there. She felt better going to her cousin with her little dilemma.

"I don't know. What am I supposed to do, Viv?" Zoe asked, sighing into her cup of tea. "I can't sell the house; I can't live there with Joel, not like this. Above all else it would be unfair to let the house sit there unused." What was one to do with a house that an ex-love had bought you? This was a new one for her.

"What about renting it out, until you decided what to do with the place?" Vivian suggested. She had never heard of something like this happening in real life. Movies were made of things like this; she didn't for a second think something like that would happen, least of all to anyone she knew.

"I don't know," Zoe huffed. "Why now? Why couldn't he have done this sooner?" Part of her felt like she knew the answer to that question, if she wouldn't have waited so long before coming home things would have been different. Not that she should have put her dreams on hold for anyone, though she did agree that she should have done things differently. Once she thought things were to broken to be fixed but maybe just maybe she had enough time to fix things, if she chose to do so.

"I can't answer that, Zoe. However, he's right; you need to figure out what's best for you. Have you even talked to Joel since being here?"

Zoe shook her head at her cousin's question. "I tried calling him but his voicemail was full. I messaged him but nothing. Everything was so much simpler before coming back here." As far as she knew she hadn't made him mad, they were okay when she left. She had chalked it up to him being busy with his book, that he had lost track of the world around him. She trusted him, so he had no reason to think he was up to anything other than working on his book. No one had gotten ahold of her, telling her he was in jail or in the hospital. Or worse.

"I wish I could tell you what you wanted to hear, Zoe. However, that isn't fair to anyone. You need to figure it out. Maybe once you get back to the city you'll find your answer. But, whatever you do, don't rush into anything," Vivian warned her.

"I won't. This is something I really need to think through, in every way possible." She would have time on her flight back.

"Zoe," little Harley yelled, jumping on Zoe's lap, his arms wrapping around her tightly, effectively ending their conversation. "I've missed you," he whispered in her ear.

"I missed you too buddy," Zoe replied, hugging him just as tight.

She really wasn't going to stay away from her family this long ever again!

Her afternoon was filled with games and laughter. Her only tears were from laughing so hard. She had no time to think about Wade, Joel or even her house. It was a break she was thankful for.

"I promise you, I'll be back soon," she told Harley, having apples and peanut butter together.

"You best," he told her. "Mom misses you," he shrugged.

"I miss her too," she replied. "But I miss you the most," she whispered, even though it was just the two of them in the kitchen.

"You will be here for my birthday this year, right?"

"I wouldn't miss it for the world, buddy," she assured him. "Anything you want?" She questioned. He shook his head. "There has to be something," she prodded him.

"A whole list of things, actually," Vivian stated joining the two of them.

"You don't have to get me anything, Zoe. You coming will be enough," he replied with a shrug.

"I will be here, Harley; I promise, pinky promise," she said, holding her pinky out to him.

"Pinky promises are kinda lame," he replied, hooking his pinky with hers. "But I will humor you," he laughed.

Zoe laughed hugging him, saying her good-byes. She assured Vivian that she would think about her dilemma before making any rash decisions. This wasn't something she could rush into without a lot of thinking on her part. She wasn't going to be take anything that happened this weekend lightly.

"Dad, I've got a question for you," Zoe said, entering her father's office, except he wasn't there. With a frown, she headed to Brick's office. "Have you seen my dad?"

"House call," he informed her. "Do you have a minute, Zoe?"

"I was going to ask you the same thing," she replied, sitting down.

"I'm sorry," they both said making each other laugh.

"Go ahead," he offered her, with a soft chuckle.

"I'm sorry," she told him. "I didn't think that I had hurt you like I had done my friends. You are like a second father to me, so it makes sense that I hurt you in such a way. For that I am truly sorry, Brick. I wish I knew what I could do to make it up to you, but I don't think there is anything; I believe that from here on out, we rebuild what I had stupidly broken," she explained, feeling nervous for his reply.

"I would like that, Zoe. I am sorry that I acted in such a way towards you. We can't fix the past; we can only move on from it, and I agree with you; we rebuild our relationship back to what it once was, there is a chance that this time it can be better," he smiled.

"I think so too," she replied getting up. "I'll let you get back to work."

"Zoe," he called after her, making her stop before she left his office. "For the record, the office that your father had been so adamant about getting ready for you, well it is yours if you ever decide that Bluebell is where your heart is at. We have done nothing to the office; it is ready when you are," he informed her.

"Thank you," she smiled, slipping from his office. "Don't you have anything better to do than stalk me?" She asked seriously, seeing the man outside the practice.

"At first I had to make sure you didn't up and leave us fine folk of Bluebell," he smirked, his arm going around her shoulder. "Now it's so you don't leave without saying bye to this ruggedly handsome face," he teased.

"That second option sounds better and better everyday," she replied. "Hey do you know anything about Benny's house?" She questioned. If Wade didn't tell anyone of his plan, she didn't want to say anything so this was the safest way.

"Just that his oldest daughter got it, but she sold it for cheap like two or three months after you left for school, why? You thinking about buying the house so you can move back here?" He asked skeptically.

"That would be the dream, wouldn't it?" She questioned with a teasing tone. "But I'm not in the market for a house at this point in time, nor will I be moving back, not until I figured things out," she sighed.

"Figure what out? Tell Jesse and he'll make it all real easy for you," he smirked.

"Zoe thinks Jesse has spent too much time talking to Lavon Hayes," she joked. "I need to think through things on my own, but thanks for the offer; I know where to find you, if I need you," she assured him. "It was good to see you again, Jesse," she smiled, hugging him.

"You'll be here for the wedding, right?" He asked, holding onto her longer than necessary. If he could get Zoe to his brother's wedding than one of them if not both of them will see that Wade was making the biggest mistake of his life and that Zoe was letting him do that. Sometimes it wasn't easier to let things go, letting things go could ruin a life or two.

"I promise; I'll be back, even if it is against my judgment, and I would rather be anywhere else," she promised him, the key burning through her pocket, marking her flesh. She didn't think she had it in her to stop a wedding, if that was what she chose to do.

"If not, I will come after you," he warned. "It was a pleasure to see you in the flesh," he smirked, letting her go. "Remember I'm only a call away if you need anything," he reminded her, walking off.

"I thought we could have dinner at Fancies," Harley told his daughter when she walked into the house.

"I would like that, let me change," she suggested, already on her way upstairs.

The walk to Fancies was a quick one spent in silence, enjoying the company of having the other back in their lives for a little longer. Father and daughter wanting to hold onto the moment as long as possible.

"You have enjoyed your stay being home, haven't you?" Harley asked, after they had ordered their food, and the waiter had brought them their drinks.

"So much so that I will be back next month," she smiled hesitantly.

"Why are you torturing yourself by going to his wedding, Zoe?" Her father asked her. He was curious; he hadn't had the need to ever go to an ex's wedding.

"To officially move on from this, I haven't healed from the Wade shaped hole that was left and this will help do it."

"What if it doesn't, sweetie?" He had to make sure that she was making the right choice. That there was more that could happen again by going. "Are you sure that this is what want? Things don't always go the way you think they will."

"I know, but I want this, and I will accept whatever happens by going, but this is something that I need to do for me; I have to be certain. You understand that, don't you?"

"I get it and I do hope you find whatever it is you are looking for," he assured her. "Now let's talk about the holidays; I enjoyed my time in that city of yours, but I would like you to come here this time around," he hinted at her.

"I have missed Planksgiving; no one in New York gets it. Coming home for Christmas would be delightful. Joel will like it as well," she smiled. "Might even give him some inspiration for a new book once he finishes the one he is working on." It was the perfect plan in her head. She could convince Joel to come with her, that would be the easy part, after all he did want to come with her this time.

"That would be nice, sweetie," Harley smiled. He was happy that he was getting his daughter back. He didn't like her being so far away where he wasn't there to protect her in the way a father should. He liked that she had her independence, and she could fight for what she wanted, he still didn't like it.


	8. Chapter 8

"Wade, I want you to be happy, you do know that, right?" Jesse asked, joining his brother for lunch. With Zoe in town, he had avoided his brother the best he could and the thing was he didn't know why. They had grown apart over the years, but they were still close. It wasn't like he was putting his friendship with Zoe over his brotherhood with Wade. And he did feel bad that he had avoided him while Zoe was in town, it was wrong of him.

"Is that so, Jesse?" Wade questioned, placing his drink on the table. Jesse nodded his head. "Then why the need to bring Zoe to my wedding?" Maybe this was why he avoided his little brother. It had taken Wade a few days to come around to the idea that Jesse was friends with Zoe. At first, Wade felt betrayed by the news. Him not liking it was an understatement. Though he realized that he couldn't dictate who was friends with who. He mostly felt that by Jesse and Zoe being friends that one day they would become more, it was how his relationship with Zoe came about, who was to say it wouldn't happen again? He may have been a tad jealous of them.

"Give me one good reason on why I shouldn't bring her to your wedding," he challenged his brother. He remained quiet waiting for Wade to answer him. "You can't think of one can you?" Jesse asked him.

"There are plenty of reasons," Wade retorted.

"Is that so?" He asked, raising an eyebrow. "I believe the reason you don't want her there is because the second you see her, you'll second-guess yourself on marrying Tansy. Making that mistake will be harder when the one person that you love is watching you throw what could be away, is that it?"

"You don't know what you're talking about, Jesse," Wade hissed. He would keep denying it, because he needed to believe that it wasn't true.

"Then why does it matter if she is there or not?" He challenged once more. He needed his brother to say the words aloud. It wasn't about being right, but for Wade to admit what he was too afraid to admit.

"It doesn't," Wade growled out. "Now drop it!" He snapped, glaring at his brother.

Jesse shook his head. He hated playing the Zoe card against him; it wasn't fair to either one of them. It was the only way he could make his brother see straight. It frustrated him beyond all belief. He did want his brother to be happy, and this may make him happy, and it was Wade's mistake to make; however, he wanted to help Wade as his older brother to stop him from making the biggest mistake of his life. As the older brother that was his job.

"You want to tell me why you bought Benny's house?" He asked then, smirking on the inside. "And remind me on why you didn't tell me?"

"I don't know what you're talking about." He had no idea how Jesse found that out. The only person in town that knew anything about him buying that house was George, heck, he had just finished the last payment a month ago. It wasn't like Zoe to go around telling people something like that, the old Zoe anyway. He didn't know anything about this new Zoe.

"Dumb doesn't like well on you Wade," Jesse commented. After Zoe had asked him about the house, he was curious, and he started to look into things. He was really thinking about taking up a career as a personal investigator or a spy 'cause a spy was way cooler.

"Why do you care, Jesse? Besides how'd you even find out about that?" He sighed, giving his act up.

"I care because I love you, Wade. I'm trying out being a spy," he smirked.

"Keep telling people that and a career as a spy will be over before it begins," Wade laughed. "Because I didn't want to jinx it, I didn't want Zoe to find out before I was ready to tell her about it."

"I wouldn't have told her, Wade," he said. "That explains the house but that doesn't tell me what's going on in that head of yours."

"Honestly, I want to move on from Zoe, but marriage; I don't know if I'm ready for that with Tansy of all people," he sighed, pulling his hands down his face. "It's messed up and I'm lost," he admitted.

"Not lost, Wade, you're just confused, and I'm here to help you," he assured his brother. "For your sake, I hope you figure it out. I don't want you to be hung up on Zoe, but I don't want you to make this big mistake, especially now that I know that you're not sure about it," Jesse told him. He was happy that Wade could admit the first step to this being a mistake. "Would you be here with your wedding less than a month away if you knew that Zoe was single?"

"Honestly, if I thought for a second that Zoe was single, I wouldn't be getting married," he shared with his brother.

"Why is that, Wade?" Jesse asked, finally getting somewhere with his brother. He wasn't expecting Wade to jump right in with all of his honesty; however, he was proud of his brother in this moment.

"She was able to move on so easily, I wanted to prove that I could as well. That I wasn't sitting here the whole time pining away for her. That she meant next to nothing, the same way she made me feel," he informed his brother, letting Jesse in on what he had kept locked away.

"I think that talk with Zoe, should've included a few more things. I also think that you need to go home and have a long talk with Tansy. And if in the end you feel like going through with your marriage to Tansy is the best thing for you, I'll stand by you, Wade. Even so, if it does go the way I think it will go; I'll still stand by you and help you with whatever it is you need me to do, got it?" He questioned.

"Even if that means going against your friendship with, Zoe if it comes down to it?" He had to know, if Jesse would put him first, or if he was going to put Zoe first.

"You are my brother, Wade. It will always be you over anyone. Zoe will understand," he told him. "We need to stick together, Wade," he assured his brother. "For your smart-ass mouth, I would like to inform you that I would make an excellent spy," he smirked.

"Maybe in your dreams, Jesse," Wade laughed. "Though really what happened with Melissa?" He was thankful that his brother wouldn't give up on him, but he admitted the truth, now it was time for Jesse to answer some questions.

"She wanted a future that didn't look like mine. I want kids; she didn't; we came to terms that it was best if we went our separate ways, give us time to find the person we're destined to be with," he sighed. He really thought that Melissa was the one, he was ready to marry her, had the ring picked out and everything, until she had a pregnancy scare, and they talked or more like they argued over what it was they wanted for their future; it didn't line up.

"You believe in destiny?" Wade asked with a smirk. "I didn't think you did."

"I don't," Jesse replied. "But I do believe that there is someone out there for everyone."

"You don't think Zoe is yours do you?" Wade asked with big round eyes. If that was the case, he might be able to come to terms with that at some point in the future.

It took everything in Jesse not to laugh at that. He never once thought of Zoe in that way. She had always been a friend to him, a sister if you will. He didn't have a crush on her. "No, I don't think that. What I do know is that she is it for you. Maybe not now but at some point in your life you will end up with her. Whether it be next week or years from now when you've both lived a happy life, you will be together, that I do believe in."

"Why do you believe in something that silly for?" Wade asked, trying to hold his laughter in. He didn't get it, and he did find it silly. "You ever think that what we had was all there was for us?"

"I know you and I know her. I've seen what love looks like," he explained. "No, I don't believe that, there is more for you two; you'll see," Jesse said smugly.

"You are delusional, Jesse. Do you know that?" Wade asked, tucking back into his food.

"So be it," Jesse shrugged. "But with all that to the side, can we…"

"Save it. Would you? I heard you loud and clear, there will be a lot of talking in my near future," he sighed, cutting his brother off, taking another drink.

"That's great and all, but not what I was going to say. Do know that I am proud of you for listening to your much wiser brother," he teased, smirking into his burger.

"You mean much older brother," he teased back, enjoying this time with his brother. Everything had been so serious as of late that he forgot how good it was to let loose and just be.

"You are an ass," Jesse chuckled. Wade shrugged laughing.

With plans to meet up later in the week, they went in two different directions. Wade didn't know where Jesse was off to. He didn't know much about what Jesse did during the day. As much as he was dreading the talk, he knew it needed to happen, he couldn't keep living this way, he couldn't pull anyone down the rabbit hole with him.

"What are you doing?" Wade questioned, walking into his place to see his fiancée packing a suitcase. He wasn't aware of her going on a trip of any kind.

"Look, Wade, I've felt it since the start, at first I didn't mind it, thinking it would go away, but it didn't and once your ex came back to town for just a few days; I realized that I love you more than you love me, and I'm not okay with that. You feel it too, don't you?" She questioned.

"Yeah," he sighed, sitting down on the bed. "I wish it could be different Tansy, but it can't be, and I'm sorry about that. I can't give you what you want, when I don't even know what it is I want. You deserve to have someone who can give you what I can't."

"It's not the end of the world, Wade. Just hang in there and the reward will be worth it," she smiled sadly at him. "I wish things were different as well, Wade, but we can't change how you feel for someone. Love is powerful. Am I sad this is how we end? Of course; it just needs to happen," she told him.

"I am sorry, Tansy. Ya know the ironic thing in this is that I was coming to break it off with you, but you beat me to the punch," he chuckled lightly.

"It's been coming for a few days now. Ever since your reunion Saturday night, I've been thinking, and it put the final piece in perspective for me, and I can't compete with that, Wade."

"You shouldn't have to, Tansy. If things were different I would be happy to marry you, but sadly that's not how it is," he told her. He felt like a weight had been lifted from his shoulders by ending things with Tansy, but at the same time he felt horrible for ending things with her. He really did wish things could be different, that he wasn't hung up on an ex. Tansy was a great girl, and any guy would be lucky to have her by their side.

"I know, Wade," she replied, lightly kissing him good-bye. "Promise me you'll fight for what's in your heart."

"I promise," he said. Once he figured out how to do such a thing.


	9. Chapter 9

"How was being back home?" Joel asked his girlfriend over dinner. He had come over while she was at work to prepare a quiet dinner in. He felt bad about not seeing her sooner, and he had missed his girlfriend, but deep down, he dreaded seeing her, partly on him and partly on her, afraid of what she would say to him. He's seen it before, how much she truly misses home while talking about her family and friends from once ago. It was only a matter of time before she too saw it. He was afraid she finally figured it out.

"It was good," she smiled. "It was what I needed. You never did say what you had done while I was gone." He found ways to avoid the question, and it was starting to make herself second guess what he had done. She had been home now for a total of two days and yet this was the first time seeing her boyfriend. For the past hour they talked like they hadn't been away from each other for the weekend. But, now, something seemed to be off.

"Writing and editing, nothing too fun," he replied. "Nothing like going home and seeing people you thought you would never be friends with again," he responded with, his words sounding harsher than he intended to.

"Yeah well that was before I left. When I didn't think that things could be worked out," she responded harshly. She didn't want to fight with him. She was looking forward to a night in with her boyfriend to help clear her mind of Wade and what was going on in Bluebell. She still needed a way to tell Joel that she would be going back to attend her ex's wedding and no, she couldn't take him as a date because she was Jesse's date. How was she supposed to tell him that? "I have been thinking about moving back there to work." It was the truth; she just left out the part of it being two or three years in the future.

"What about us, Zoe? I can't pack up and move because you have this sudden urge to go home," he hissed, suddenly becoming defensive.

"You can write from anywhere, Joel," she reminded him feeling frustrated with him. It wasn't like he needed to be in the city for his job. He could write from anywhere in the world.

"That's besides the point, Zo," he sighed.

"Is it?" She questioned, getting up to place her plate in the sink. "Why are we even together?" She asked walking from the room.

Even though things weren't right in Bluebell, she was starting to wish she was back there. She had thought the whole plane ride home, had a day to herself to think some more before she was needed at work, and before she met up with Joel, that she would know what she wanted, but she was just as lost as before. Though one thing was for sure, work felt like she didn't belong there and now with Joel it felt wrong, all wrong.

To her, it was like Joel wasn't willing to give anything up to be with her. Wade had given up love for her, sacrificed himself. Joel couldn't even entertain the idea of giving anything up for her. Wasn't love about making sacrifices for the one you love? Not that she had ever given anything up to be with Wade nor for Joel. However, she was willing to give up the life she wanted in the city to be with Wade, even if it was too late. With Joel, she couldn't think of anything that she could give up for him, other than her love for another man. And at this point that didn't seem possible.

"Why do you think you are with me?" Joel asked calmly, joining her on the bed, keeping his distance.

"At first you were a fun distraction from what I had going on. With you, I learned how to slow down and enjoy each day, like when I was kid. Smell the flowers," she smiled. "That is what I needed. Along the way, I fell in love with you, but honestly I'm starting to see that…" She paused, not wanting to say the words that were sitting on the tip of her tongue. She didn't want to hurt him.

"What is it Zoe? We can't keep things locked away," he urged her on.

"Being with you was easy and the safe option for me," she confessed. "Think about it, Joel. We've been together for 2 years; we have yet to move in with each other. We haven't discussed a future, and I honestly believe that we don't have a future together. What's the point in us dating if it's not going anywhere? And this isn't on you; it's on me because I couldn't be honest with myself, I was the one running all along," she sighed, looking down, feeling horrible about every word that had slipped from her mouth.

"You are right. Being together was easy and safe. I do love you, Zoe. Even so, this should've ended a long time ago. The blame isn't all yours. I've been hung up on an ex, as well, and she came into my life while you were away, and it stirred all these dormant feelings. I felt like a teenager all over again," he laughed. "We've only been pretending for who knows how long; we have moved back to being friends without ever realizing it. There is nothing wrong with that."

"We did and it happens," she shrugged; she had seen it sooner just kept ignoring it because she didn't want it to be true. "We were both in the same spot hung up on an ex. We can't move forward if all we thought about was using the other. I know at some point we went from using each other to loving one another, but it doesn't work for us. I think there was always an expiration date on us, and it is past."

"I couldn't have said it better myself," he told her. "No hard feelings?"

"No hard feelings," she responded. " Joel, do us both a favor and go be with her," Zoe prompted him.

"I'll take your advice if you go after what has been yours, mind telling me what is with this key?" He asked, taking the key from his pocket. "I wasn't snooping; it was laying on the floor, half under the couch when I came over this afternoon," he explained.

"How do you know it's not my key to my dad's place?" She questioned, taking the key. She didn't realize that she had lost it.

"Because the key to your dad's place is the funky green, blue, and purple tie-dye key you've had since you were a kid," he pointed out.

Zoe laughed at that, flipping the key with her fingers. "It's for my house," she caved. "Wade, the one I stupidly let go, bought it for me; he's been saving up since we were 9 to buy the house for me just because I commented on feeling at home in the house," she smiled.

"Sounds like he still loves you," Joel smiled. "Go after him, Zoe. A love like that doesn't come along everyday."

"I would, except his soon to be wife wouldn't take to kindly to me confessing my love for him at his wedding," she responded.

"You have to fight, Zoe. If you want to be with him fight for your love," he replied.

Could it be that easy? Could she show up at his wedding and say her piece and expect him to call off his marriage to Tansy for her? Did she even have the nerve to do something like that? Could she live with herself for letting him go? Could she move on fully from Wade?

She didn't know but one way or another, she was going to find out what one of those questions would be answered. First, she needed to find someone and ask him what his opinion was, because he never let her down yet with advice.

"I need your help," she begged, sitting at the table with one of her superiors. He looked up from his food a curious look on his face. "I'm lost on what I should do, and you have always been good on giving me the advice I need to hear," she clarified.

"You know I am always happy to help you out, Zoe," he told her slowly. "But do you need my help in this? You are a smart young woman, who knows what she wants even if she thinks she doesn't," he explained further for her.

She liked to think that she knew what to do in this situation, but sleeping on it, left her feeling lost with a lack of sleep as she had spent the night tossing and turning worrying about that big fat question mark that is her future. The answer maybe be staring her in the face; it didn't mean she saw it. She needed help from the one person in the city that wouldn't lie to her or tell her what it is they think they want her to hear. Honesty. She needed honesty from her mentor.

"I'm stuck on everything in my life. Depending on the person they are only going to tell me what suits them best, whether that means me staying here in the city or me moving back home. You are the only person I know that isn't biases," she explained to him.

"Then let's hear this problem of yours," he replied with a friendly smile, giving her his undivided attention.

"It may seem silly but the struggle is real," she started off with. "I've got a job back home; it has been mine since I was a little girl," she smiled, thinking about how happy she had made her dad, when she was a little girl and told him she wanted to be a doctor just like him. "But I don't know if I want to go back there and lay everything on the table, especially when the guy I still love is marrying someone else," she quickly explained, using the major points in her crisis.

"From that far away look on your face, I can see that despite the drama waiting for you back home it is where you want to be. That is happiness you can't fake," he easily told her. "As for that love life it is up to you. Either you confront him before he pledges his life with another woman, or you find a way to let him go fully."

"Really, you think I should move back home?" She questioned, ignoring the stuff about Wade.

"Zoe, I think you need to figure out what place makes you happy despite who lives where. Is the risk worth the reward?" He questioned her, getting up. "You Dr. Wilkes will be wonderful wherever you my land."

"Thank you, Dr. Hart," she smiled.

"Like the rest of these little one-on-one chats, I won't tell your mother about them, but you will be expected to come over for dinner tonight," he smirked, walking off.

"I'll be there," she called after him.

She had lived with her dad, as long as she could remember. Harley told her he brought her home from the hospital, saying that Candice wasn't ready to be a mother. She had been born in New York, and that was why liked to think she had such a connection with the city that never sleeps; it should've been her home, but it wasn't, not even close to being home. She didn't have a relationship with her mother, not until she was in college and one of the perks of being in New York was to be closer to her mom, so she could get to know her, and she enjoyed it and loves her mother, no longer resenting her. A tiny bit of her felt like she would lose her mother if she left, even if it did sound ridiculous.

Things were a bit clearer to her. She was going to do what made her happy; it was her life, and she wanted to live a happy one, not a life that is filled with regrets. Going home for the first time in tens years, was the right move to make, it put things in perspective for her.

For now, she knew what she was going to do about one of her dilemmas. As for the other, she had time to sort through that at a later date.


	10. Chapter 10

**Some where around chapter two or three I thought that I would only have ten chapters to this story, but that didn't work out. I saw no point in cramming a bunch of story into one chapter. Not when there is still plenty of story left to tell.**

 **I'm happy that you like Ethan being a good guy, even though I have wrote him as an evil person myself, I don't believe he was that bad of a guy. He did what he thought was the best. And him being a good person went so much better with this fic. For some reason I can't get anyone to have a full blown out fight, but again it wouldn't fit in this fic, not even for Candice.**

 **Also, I had thought about them jumping on planes and missing the other one, but I like what I have done instead of that. I have a certain way on how they will find out about each other being single and I think you all will like that. I hope to have it in the next chapter, which will be up Monday as I won't be home tomorrow.**

 **Have a wonderful Friday and an even better weekend. Enjoy!**

* * *

Dinner with her mom and Ethan was a nice touch to everything going on around her. She was able to relax and enjoy the atmosphere that was filled with love. Seeing her mom smile and laugh made her more determined to right for what she wanted. What she didn't know she still wanted until a weekend at home showed her what she was missing out on.

"Your father called me," Candice said, over their dessert. "Why didn't you talk to me?" Mother asked daughter worriedly.

"Talk about what?" Zoe questioned, washing the food down with her tea. "What did dad tell you?" This had the one conversation she was dreading the most. She didn't know how her mother was going to take her news and the last thing she wanted to do was upset or overwhelm anyone.

"He was worried and wanted to know how you were holding up after getting back to the city. He proceeded to tell me that you never called him to inform him that you landed and not only that you haven't talked to Jesse, and he was worried about you," Candice explained. "I made him tell me why he would be worried for and why you were refusing to talk to Jesse. Why didn't you tell me about the show down with your ex?"

"Because if I talked to Jesse about what was going on inside my head, he'd want me to move back, he has not subtly hinted at it. And I love you Mom but if I would have came to you, I'm afraid you'd tell me you'd want me to stay here," she sighed, feeling like an idiot. She felt horrible for keeping it from her, but she didn't want to hurt her mom or make her mom feel like she was leaving her behind and opting out of talking with her mom about it, it seemed like she had done what she didn't want to do.

"I wouldn't have done such a thing, Zoe. You are my daughter and yes, I want you to be close to me, but I would not make you stay where you are not happy at. As your mother, I want you to be happy," Candice told her feeling hurt that Zoe would think so lowly of her.

"I see that now, but I was scared before, and I needed advice from someone who wouldn't hold my problems personally," she argued her point.

"I've made many mistakes in my life. I gave you up, do you know how much I regret that?" Zoe shook her head. "I've regretted that choice every day of your life. When I heard that you were so close I had to reach out and fix what I had broken. Even so, that never once meant I wanted you to stay somewhere where you are only going to suffer. Where ever you decided to live we can have a relationship, Zo. You are my daughter and I want you to be happy," Candice finished telling her, placing her hand over her daughters. "I'm more upset that you think so little of me," she said brokenly.

"I'm sorry, Mom. I love you; I do. I didn't want it to ruin what we have. I was stupid to think that because nothing can ruin the bond, a mother and daughter have. I don't want this to change things between us, but New York is no longer the place I belong. Someone dear to my heart asked me if the risk is worth the reward," she smiled, looking at Ethan, grateful to have him in her life. "It is worth it and so much more."

"That is wonderful, Zoe," Ethan smiled. "I like your mother only want you to be happy. You must know that I think of you is mine, I know you have a father whom you adore, and I am not taking away from that, but because I don't have kids of my own, you are the closest thing I have to a daughter, and I love you and I have your best interest at heart," Ethan confessed.

"You are a father to me, Ethan. When my dad can't be here you have done an amazing job filling in for him, and I feel honored to be considered a daughter to you," she smiled, hugging him. "You both should know that I am moving back home, and I do promise to keep in touch with you both; I would hate to lose you now that I've found you."

"I am not worried about that, Zoe," Candice assured her. "I will miss you, but this is something you need to do; I would hate for you to miss out on love," she smiled, taking Ethan's hand in hers.

"I will miss you too, Mom. However, I'm not leaving quite yet."

It was nights that she was alone in her apartment; boxes filled with her belongings that the thought of jumping on a plane seemed more ideal to her. She kept telling herself that Wade could wait a few more days, but the urge to grab her keys and show up at the airport was harder and harder to ignore. She couldn't even call her dad or Jesse to talk her out of it, she didn't want them to find out, not yet. She wanted to surprise them.

That is how she found herself at the airport, sitting in an uncomfortable hard plastic chair, watching people come and go from where she sat. The arrivals and departing board in her line of sight. She could get up and buy a plane a ticket and be home in a matter of hours. But she was holding herself back from doing something that rash. She needed to stay grounded; it would only be a handful more days, and she would be back home, and she still had time before his wedding to confront him.

She has waited ten years for this moment; she could wait a few more days. She would go home and pack more of the things she didn't need. She didn't need to run out to Bluebell to make a statement. She would be there soon enough.

* * *

Wade sat at the nearly empty airport in the wee hours of the morning. He didn't know if Jesse had told Zoe about him and Tansy breaking things off. He refused to ask just in case Jesse had told Zoe, and she didn't care. His plan was simple, go to New York, find her and tell her that he was no longer getting married because he was still in love with her, and he wanted another chance to prove that they could work out if she only believed.

So getting on a plane was worth it, but he couldn't make himself budge to the counter to buy the ticket he needed.

"Showing up there isn't going to change anything. Sure you can put your heart on the line, but it won't make her follow you back here to live happily ever after, Wade. Sure it can be that easy but when it comes to the two of you, it won't ever be that simple. You have too much hurt on your hands for things to be easy. You were going to marry another woman, and she is in a relationship with another guy. Going to her won't work in your favor, Wade. This isn't a movie, there is no director calling action, no script to read from. Think long and hard about this. Is going to New York worth it? When she'll be back in less than a week."

"How did you know I would be here?" Wade asked instead of answering the questions he didn't have any answers to.

"This is what the 6th time you've been sitting in the airport in the past week? I won't even mention the voicemail left on my phone, from you. I didn't think I would be here in time; I thought you said that this was it, that this time you would get the courage to get the ticket and get on the plane. What happened?"

"I thought about everything you told me, Jesse," Wade sighed. "I could show up at her door and beg on my knees for her to take me back, but this isn't those stupid, idiotic romance movies she made me watch when we were younger, I wouldn't win her over. I bought her a house and not just any house either, her dream home, and she is living it up in New York," he ranted. "I can't compete with that."

"Sounds like you are giving up, Wade," Jesse commented, afraid he had just lost Wade to his words, that wasn't what he wanted to happen. He wanted Wade to see that he needed to wait for the opportune moment to strike. "Do me the favor of waiting until after the day you had set for your wedding. I haven't talked to Zoe since she left, so I don't know what is going on, but I do know that she will be here, not knowing you broke things off with Tansy."

He was the one that got to watch his brother go through an array of emotions when it came to winning Zoe back. He wanted it to end. He knew it couldn't end until they faced one another for what they thought would be the last time. Zoe was thinking it would be the last time because she still believed Wade was getting married; he had no plans of telling her otherwise, convinced Harley and Vivian to remain mum about it all. Wade thought it be the last time because of Joel. He personally did not know what was going on there, but he hoped Zoe came to her senses.

"Why, Jesse? What do you have planned?" Wade asked slowly. He didn't like the smirk his brother was wearing.

"Wouldn't you like to know," Jesse chuckled. "All you need to know is that I have something in mind. I will explain on the way home if you agree not to give up on Zoe until after she comes to visit," he challenged him.

"And if I don't agree to that?"

"Then you will live a miserable life, Wade," Jesse replied, feeling a little sorry for his brother.

"What do you know that I don't?" Wade questioned, eyeing his brother up carefully.

"Nothing and that is the truth," Jesse told him. "Have a little faith in me would you? Whether you agree or not I will still go through with my plan."

"Why are going through so much trouble to get me and Zoe together again? Don't you have your own love life to deal with?"

"Because I believe in the love you and Zoe have, and I am a sucker for a good love story," he smirked. "And I care because you are my brother, and she is very much a sister to me. I want you both happy. I wouldn't be forcing you two together if you could see what the rest of us see. I'm merely helping you both out," he responded.

"Fine, but if this little plan of yours doesn't work out, I'm not waiting for her, Jesse. At some point, I will have to move on, and I can't do that with you encouraging me to keep my love for Zoe alive. I can't keep putting myself out there like that. I do get tired of getting burned. Using Tansy to move on was wrong of me, but you must know what you are doing is wrong as well."

"After this, I promise I will stop pushing you towards Zoe. It is wrong of me, but I saw that spark when you were together, whether it be you arguing or getting along, it was there, and I don't want you to waste anymore time being away from the one person you love. And if this does go to hell this time, I will stop because I will be the one in the wrong," Jesse agreed.

"That is all I ask of you," Wade stated, getting up. "Now this plan of yours what is it you are going to make me do?" Wade sighed, following his brother outside.

"What fun would it be if I told you now?" Jesse laughed. "Do you need a lift?" Wade shook his head, nodding towards his own car. He could use the few extra minutes of quietness to get his thoughts in order now that he knew that Jesse was up to something.


	11. Chapter 11

"Zoe, lovely to see you again, explain to me why I had to pick you up?" Jesse asked, taking her luggage, wrapping an arm around her in the process.

"Would telling you that I missed you, please you?" She asked, hugging him.

"Please me? Very much so, settle my curiosity? Hell no! I am your best friend, shouldn't you tell me what's going on and not keep secrets?" He asked her.

"This is my secret to keep and reveal as I see fit," she remarked. "However, I will say that it makes no sense to rent a car this time around, when I have such a wonderful friend in you," she smiled. "The real reason will be revealed soon enough, but I need to tell a few other people first," she explained flashing him a smile.

He could guess all the way to Bluebell on what it was, but he had a fairly good idea what the news was and he wouldn't say a word about it, this was her news after all, and he wouldn't spoil it for her.

"We need to talk about a few things, Zoe. I feel like I should warn you since you did come down here to be my date," he was saying, when she stopped him.

"Whatever it is it can wait. I am sorry that I have been ignoring you, but I had to sort through things, and I already had your little voice in my head swaying things. It has been a long few weeks," she sighed. "I just want to go to my place and hide away from the prying eyes of this town before I lose the courage on what it is I need to do," she told him.

"I get it; no feelings were hurt," he assured her. "So I'm not taking you to your dad's house?" Zoe answered his question by shaking her head. The more he was told by Zoe the bigger his smile was growing on the inside as not to give away what he had put together. "Did Joel not want to come? He must be a pretty chill dude to let his girlfriend come states away and be another man's date for a wedding," he said, with a hint of a smirk. It was cruel to keep pretending that there was a wedding going on, but if she didn't know yet, he wasn't going to say anything besides in his defense, he tried to tell her, she didn't want to hear it. His plan would surely work now.

"We broke up," she told him leaving it at that. He waited for her to say more, but she remained quiet. "Two broken hearts don't always mend each other, not when your heart lies elsewhere."

"I am sorry for the part I played in that. The last thing I ever wanted to do was hurt you, and I feel bad that I have been shoving my little brother at you," he told her letting a puff of air out.

"You didn't hurt me; you showed me that I really wasn't ready for another major relationship. If anything I should be thanking you. We all need a shove, Jesse," she remarked, looking at him.

"Why do I have the feeling this is no longer about you and my brother but rather about me?" He questioned, pulling the car up to her house.

"Because it is, Jesse," she told him pushing the car door open. "You can't use me as your date forever. I know how hard it is to move on, hell, I haven't even done that, but trust me, it is not fun being hung up on an ex. Either you go to her and find a way to fix it, or you go home and find a way to move past it all, because being stuck will ruin you, Jesse. I wish I had someone who would've laid it out for me years ago," she told him slipping from his car, going to the back.

"I hear ya, Zo, but for the moment, I want to be single. I haven't just been single in such a long time. I will be fine; she wasn't my great love," he responded, joining her behind the car, to get her luggage out. It was easy to pretend, but with how easy it had been to let her go; he was coming around to the fact that maybe she wasn't his great love, that he still had yet to find the one. So pretending was easy when he actually thought about it. All breaks up could be as easy or as hard as you wanted to make them, and he wanted this one to be easy, because he did want to move on from her.

"As long as you my friend are happy," she smiled at him, walking to the front door to unlock it. "Wade buying this house for me was the sweetest thing any guy has ever done for me," she commented, holding the door open for him.

"That was quite the move on his part," Jesse smiled, sitting her luggage down, by the front door. "Do you mind?" He asked, gesturing to the rest of the house.

"Go ahead, just take your shoes off, I don't need you scuffing the floor up," she told him, pointing at his shoes. Her own already off and to the side neatly.

Jesse rolled his eyes but toed his shoes off; he went to look around as Zoe headed to the master room and put her things away. He was impressed with the work Wade had done on the house by himself; he would have helped his brother out if he had known what Wade had been up too. It was clear that he wanted his brother and Zoe together. He really hoped he wasn't wrong about the two of them, time changes people, and they had changed for the better, but under that change, they were still the same. He couldn't afford to be wrong for their sake.

"This is my favorite room," she said, feeling Jesse's presence behind her. "I wish he would've said something sooner," she sighed.

"We both do, but we can't change that, Zo," he replied joining her. "What are you going to do about Wade?"

"You'll find out later; I really think I need to talk to Wade before I tell you," she remarked with a smile.

"Zoe, I need to tell you something," he said, telling her was the right thing to do. "I really think you should know that…" he was in the process of saying, he was going to tell her about the wedding being canceled, it was the friendly thing to do. He had gotten the best of himself since deciding not to tell her on the way to town from the airport in Mobile, but now, he felt the need to tell her.

"Nothing you have to say is going to change what I am going to do, Jesse."

"I respect that I do, but have you talked to anyone from Bluebell in the short amount of time you have been gone?" He asked, changing his question mid sentence.

"I briefly talked to Lemon a few different times and AB as well, but they did not tell me anything about anyone other than themselves," she informed him.

He nodded happy to hear that she had talked to someone if not him, but he knew they wouldn't know about Tansy leaving. Wade had only told him, as far as the rest of the town believed the wedding was still on. Wade didn't want anyone else to slip up and tell Zoe before he was given a chance. And he didn't feel bad for deceiving anyone either; the town talked too much for its own good, and no one would get hurt by keeping it all under wraps.

"It was lovely to see you; we will have to do this again while you are in town, but I must be going; Wade is waiting for me," he replied, standing up.

"Thank you for the talk and for the ride," she told him, getting up to see him out.

"Sit and enjoy that lovely view, I know my way out," he told her with a smile walking away.

Zoe smiled looking out the window, curling up in her seat. She was happy to be home.

Jesse smiled backing out of the driveway. Now all he had to do was make sure Wade found his way out to the house where he would bump into Zoe. He wasn't sure if he wanted to be sneaky and tell his brother a little white lie or tell him straight out that Zoe was here a few days earlier than she had said she would be and that she was staying at her home. That all depended on Wade when he saw him.

He did for a split second feel bad for deceiving Zoe about the wedding, but how many times can you try to tell someone something before giving up because they don't want to hear it? There was no way he was going to yell it out and then take off, that would be worse than not telling her the truth.

"You are over an hour late," Wade pointed out, before Jesse had even sat down. "Where were you?"

"There are things that not even you need to know about," he smirked. "What is all of this?" He questioned, picking a small stack of papers up.

"I've been so focused on giving Zoe her dream home, that I put my plans on the back burner, and music has been there when drinking didn't work," he commented.

"A band? You're going to start a band?" Jesse questioned.

"That depends on a few different things, first I need to find people to join my band and see if we can make it, I don't know what I want to happen if I do start a band," he shrugged. "A music teacher, I can do that, I can help mold the minds of the younger generation and show them the power music has," he smiled.

"Forget the band, Wade. Music teacher it is for you. Just sitting here I can see you have more passion for teaching kids about music than you do about a lousy band," Jesse told him.

"I'm glad you say that, because I've enrolled in a few classes to get my degree."

"That is huge, Wade," Jesse grinned, hitting his brother's arm. "We need to celebrate, but first I think you need to go check on Zoe's house." Hearing his brothers' news, he knew exactly what he was going to do about making Wade and Zoe run into each other.

"Why?" Wade questioned, eyeing him up.

"She's going to be here in a few days and who knows if she wants to stay at her home or with her dad. Even so, either way you should check on it, make sure no one has been messing around there. You know that teens in this town like to have parties where their parents can't find them and with Zoe's house being far enough away from neighbors, and the house empty it makes for the perfect location."

"That actually makes sense," Wade nodded.

"You go do that and I will get everyone gathered up to celebrate you going after your dreams," Jesse told him. "Hey Wade," Jesse called after him, seeing Wade stop by the door; Jesse continued talking, "if I knew something about Zoe would you want me to tell you?"

"Depends on what," Wade replied. "Have you talked to her?"

"For a few minutes earlier in the day. It has to do with Joel," Jesse carefully told him. It wasn't his loyalty to his brother, but rather that if Zoe wasn't going to hear him out, Wade would and one of them needed to be filled in.

"What are they getting married?" Wade asked a fake laugh escaping. Jesse shook his head.

"The opposite actually," Jesse responded. "I tried to tell her about your wedding, but she wouldn't have it so as far as she knows you are still getting married. So if you want to walk away from her, you can do that, or after you check that house of hers, you can get your girl. However, you might want to change first, let me know if you will be making it for drinks," Jesse told him, getting up. "Do what makes you happy little brother," he said, leaving Wade alone with his thoughts.

Run to her or stay away. He didn't fully know the answer; however, the drive to Zoe's house should help clear his head. Or maybe he should have Jesse go check on the place, and he head straight to New York to get his woman. He was tired of living a life at a crossroad.


	12. Chapter 12

**I think this is my least fav chapter in this story. It didn't come out how I had pictured it. Having a big romantic kiss, wasn't in the cards for this chapter as I didn't think it would work out, I wanted one, it just didn't work out that way, as I found out, it wouldn't work that way.**

 **You guys I'm blown away with how you all like Wade being a music teacher, that wasn't even thought out, more spur of the moment writing, as I wanted him to have something different from being a bartender/owner of the Rammer Jammer.**

 **I'm thinking this one will be coming to an end shortly, as I have a sequel planned out and in order for it work out I need a few more years to pass by.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

His mind was so far away, New York far away that he didn't even know how he managed to get to Zoe's place. It was the lights that were on throughout the house that got his attention. Maybe Jesse had been right about a high school party. He sighed just thinking of the damage that could've been done to the place. There were no cars or music and there were no people, so he could only assume that the party was over with, and he would be left to clean the mess up.

"Zoe?" Wade questioned, seeing Zoe step around from the side of the house. "I thought you were still New York," he commented, slowly piecing things together.

She was out back enjoying the quiet night Bluebell had to offer her when she heard the crunch of the gravel under the weight of tires. At first, she had thought it was Jesse coming back. The longer time passed with no other noise than a car door being shut, she went to investigate. Color her shocked seeing Wade approach the house.

"Came back a few hours ago, Jesse didn't say?" She questioned. She had figured that he would've told Wade that she was back in town, she didn't tell him he couldn't tell people.

"No, but I should've guessed. He did say he talked to you." Leave it to his brother to pull a stunt like this. He would get Jesse back for it, the plan already festering in his mind.

"Yeah, we did. What are you doing out here if you didn't know that I was here?" She questioned. She got why Jesse would send Wade on a wild goose chase for, but she was holding herself back on making the move she needed to make.

"Jesse made a false excuse for me to come here," he replied. "Now that I know that everything is good here, I'm going to go. Celebrating," he replied, rapping his knuckles on the porch railing. Leaving seemed like the best option for him at this moment. He could stay and they could work through things, but something told him it wasn't the time to do so at this point.

"Your wedding?" She questioned, looking down.

"Uh no," he replied shaking his head, earning Zoe's attention once more. "Wedding has been canceled, you and Jesse are the only two that know about it," he told her. "I'm going back to school, plan on being a music teacher," he told her, making his way to his car.

"That is wonderful, Wade. You will be an awesome music teacher, congratulations," she told him with a genuine smile leaning on the railing. That was all the praise and encouragement he needed.

"Thanks, Zoe," he smiled, pulling the car door open. "Night," he said climbing in.

Zoe gave him a small wave waiting until he was out of sight before going back to her spot, her smile growing bigger, she wanted to call out to him, make him stay, talk through things now that they were single, but she didn't know if Jesse had told Wade about her break up with Joel. Things could wait. One thing she should have done was listened to what Jesse had to tell her earlier in the day.

Driving back to town Wade couldn't wipe the smile off his face. He was going back to school, the women he had loved since he was a teen was that much closer to being his. He wanted to be with her now, but he didn't see the point in pushing her any further, there would be time before she left again. He needed to woo her, show her that everything she needed was right here.

"I thought you wouldn't show up," Jesse remarked, the second Wade joined them at the table, beer in hand.

"The place was empty and locked up tight; I would run off, but I want a clear head to go forward; I won't rush into this and make anyone doubt my feelings for her," he replied with a smirk.

"What are we missing?" George asked, looking between the brothers.

"Not much," Wade replied, taking a drink of his beer. "Are they Jesse? Or maybe you would like to tell us what's going on," he challenged, a glint in his eyes.

"You mean to tell me the house was empty?" Jesse questioned puzzled, ignoring the last part of what his brother said. Wade nodded, laughing on the inside. "I have a phone call to make," he said excusing himself pulling his phone out as he exited the bar. There was no way that she would be sleeping at this time, the sun was still up.

"I'll be back in a second, there is something I need to do," he told his friends, heading out the back door, he hoped it wasn't too late.

"Wade, hey can I call you back. I'm talking…"

"To Jesse, I know," he said cutting her off trying to make it quick as possible. "I'm paying him back for sending me out there under false pretenses, told him the place was empty, can you go along with it if it's not too late?" He asked a hint of pleading in his voice.

"I can do that," she smiled into the phone.

"Thanks, Zo. Do you think I can stop back over later tonight, if it doesn't get too late?" He questioned nervously.

"I'll be up for a while yet," she told him, clicking back over to Jesse.

Wade returned to the table jumping into the current conversation. He was laughing along with his friends, an eye staying on the door that Jesse had gone through. Knowing that Zoe was in town and besides him only Jesse knew, he wanted to keep it that way, liking that secret. His smirk grew seeing his brother finally enter the bar once more.

"How'd the call go?" Wade asked, taking a drink of his beer.

"Good, they were on a walk enjoying the perks of the country, since it has been sometime since they have last been in the country," he commented. "Are you sure you really checked the place over?" Jesse questioned.

"Seriously guys, what is going on? Lavon does not like secrets," he stated, giving the brothers pointed looks.

"Wade is going back to school. Don't have kids, he is going to be a music teacher," Jesse easily said, taking the heat off of Zoe. She was hiding away for a reason, and he wasn't going to expose her.

"Dude that is great," George told him, proud of his friend for going after what he wanted. "I had never thought of you as a teacher before," he chuckled. "Not with the trouble you caused."

"Laugh it up, Tucker," Wade dryly told him. "I didn't either, but I think it will be a good fit," he smiled.

"You will be an amazing teacher, Wade," Lavon assured him.

"Thanks. Can we now, please enjoy our night out and find someone for, Jesse?" He asked, ready to move onto a different topic.

Even with Jesse shaking his head and protesting they set out to find a woman for Jesse. With the guys busy discussing who would be a better fit for Jesse, he made his exit. Driving to the house this time was more memorable than the earlier one. This time he was looking forward to it.

Turning the car off, he walked around the porch, seeing no point in knocking, not if she was still behind the house. He smiled seeing her laying on a blanket in the middle of the back yard, gazing up at the stars.

"Do you know how many years it has been since I have been able to do this?" She asked him, her eyes not leaving the star lit sky.

"My guess is too long," he replied, laying next to her on the blanket.

"You would be right," she told him, looking at him. "I'm no longer with Joel," she told him, reaching between them to lace her fingers with his. "Not even my dad knows this yet, but I'm moving back here; it would be a shame to leave such a beautiful home empty."

"I'm honored you told me first," he said, squeezing her hand gently. "Is this what you want?" He asked, referring to him and not the move.

"I've wanted to be with you even when I thought otherwise, Wade. The only thing I'm sure of is being with you," she told him.

Wade smiled, moving to put his weight on his elbow, his hand staying connected to hers, his free hand cupping her face. "I'm pleased to hear that," he whispered, pressing his lips ever so softly over hers.

"However, we need to take this slow, Wade."

"I wouldn't have it any other way," he smiled, brushing his thumb over her lips. "Or we can say we've wasted enough time and crash a certain wedding making it ours," he suggested, looking lovingly at her. Those thoughts about waiting going to hell, he was going after what he wanted. He could still woo her while married to her. "Think about it, Zoe. How much time do we need to waste before we realize we are it for each other? I don't care if we ever get married, as long as I am with you. I stupidly let you go ten years ago; I won't make that mistake again," he promised her.

"We can't control everything Wade, what if we don't work out? What if we fall out of love?" She questioned, bringing her free hand up to rest on the hand he had on her face. "We need to be realistic."

"The what ifs will always be there holding us back. I have loved you since I was 15, it is highly unlikely that I will fall out of love with you, Zoe Wilkes. We will work out if we fight for us and not give up, don't you feel the same?" He questioned.

"I want to," she confessed, biting down on her lip. Loving him and marrying him were two things she didn't need to question, it was about the timing of it all. "I have been in love with you since I was 13, I just refused on saying anything until I knew how you felt," she told him, with a soft smile.

"And you had to wait two years for that to happen, look at the stuff you had to witness because you wouldn't do anything about your crush for me. Everything we need to learn about each other, we can do that, but I don't want to waste another minute of our lives together," he told her, determined more now than before to make her see his side of things.

"I don't either, Wade; however, marriage is a huge step, and you were going to marry another woman. And I was with someone else; I don't think it would be fair to anyone if we were to rush into a marriage."

"Fair? It's not like we are using the other as a rebound. I want to marry you, Zoe. Do you love me enough to want that with me? A future together?" He questioned her.

"Yes, Wade, I want to marry you, have kids with you, to have it all with you," she assured him.

"Then what's the problem, Zoe?" He asked. Zoe looked down, not able to come up with an answer for him. Everything she told him, he had a response for. "I'll give you a few days to figure it out; I'll be there waiting for you; it won't change anything between us if you don't show up, I will not let you go," he told her, making a move to get up.

"Please, stay," she pleaded with him. He nodded his head, laying back down. Removing her hand from his, she curled into his side laying her head on his chest. He kissed the top of her head, there was no where else he would rather be than where he was with the love of his life in his embrace.


	13. Chapter 13

She had talked to Jesse a few different times within the span of a day in a half, talked to her father as well, went to his house and told him her news; he was more than ecstatic to have his daughter home again. She saw her other friends also, but made no move to tell them about being with Wade or about moving back to town.

Together her and Wade came up with a plan of their own, and they were waiting until the day they would be able to do such a thing. It would be easier since everyone would already to be there, and they would only have to say it once. Not only that but Wade didn't have to put the word out about his canceled wedding. It worked out perfect for the both of them.

"You ready for this?" Wade questioned, hearing that their guests started to arrive.

"Are you?" She asked back, gently smacking his hands away from his tie, so she could tie it for him. "You can't even tie your tie. What is with you?" She asked, pulling it tight making sure it was perfect, smoothing out his shirt.

"It is nothing; I don't even know why I am nervous for," he replied, messing with his charcoal vest, once that was good he rolled up the arms of his white dress shirt, before finally smoothing out any wrinkles that were in his dark-blue jeans.

"It is pretty big considering past events and instead of letting things be we are making a spectacle of us being together," she said, looking into the mirror, turning this way and that making sure that her white bodycon peplum dress was still pristine. The dress has an unusual and flattering square neckline, peplum waist and midi length.

"We don't have to do this, Zo. We can do whatever it is we want to do," he told her, moving behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist. His chin resting upon her shoulder. She leaned back into him, placing her hands on top of his.

"I want to do this, Wade," she told him, smiling at him in the mirror. "I really don't want to repeat myself for days about things. I know what I want and less time dealing with the same thing countless times is a beautiful thing."

"If you're sure," he commented, nuzzling the side of her neck. "And you are very beautiful, Doc," he said, kissing along her bare shoulder.

* * *

"Thank you all for coming but there will not be a wedding today," Wade started out, standing in front of most of the town. Everyone of them ready to start asking questions, Wade held his hand up and kept talking. "Everyone knew it wouldn't have worked out, so save it," he chuckled. "There is no wedding, but we do have something to say." That got him confused looks, all but one person who hadn't been told anything.

"Wade, I think you are delusional; you are the only one up there," Lemon stated, from her chair.

Jesse looked around noting the one person that wasn't present. He shared a look with his brother. "Zoe, you can come out now," Jesse called with a smug look on his face.

"How'd you know?" Zoe asked, stepping from where she was hidden at, joining Wade in front of everyone.

"I have eyes and I have been the biggest supporter in this reunion, do you really think I wouldn't know?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.

"More like the biggest pain in the ass," Wade remarked. "We are back together and Zoe want to take it?" He asked, looking at his girlfriend. She smiled, kissing his cheek.

"After coming back here with being gone for ten years, I came to my senses; I missed being home. New York was never meant to be home, and I enjoyed my time there, but Bluebell is home and will remain that way. I thought hard about this decision, and I know it is right for me," she said, looking for her father and Brick. "Brick, dad I will take that office that belongs to me, but know that I will also be finding a job in Mobile or Fairhope part time," she concluded. That had been one thing she didn't mention to her dad.

"Welcome to the practice, sweetie," Harley smiled. He was pleased that his daughter was coming back home to work in what would be her practice one day, but also that she hadn't lost the one person she loved the most. He didn't like that two innocent people had to get hurt in the process; however, it needed to happen.

"Thanks," Zoe smiled. "Whether you are happy or disappointed about there not being a wedding, we do have a little together planned at my house; the one Wade bought for me, Benny's old house." Even though she's stayed there a couple of nights already and had plenty of time to come around to the idea of Wade doing the sweetest thing ever, she was still having trouble wrapping her mind around it.

"Starts around 5," Wade informed them. "Enjoy the rest of your day, because we will," he smiled, pulling Zoe closer to him.

With that they were the ones to leave first, Bluebell now a buzz with the latest happenings. They turned their phones off not wanting the bombard of questions anyone might have for them; they would see them later in the day, and right now they just wanted to enjoy their day.

* * *

"Harley, just the man I was looking for," Wade announced, finding said man alone for the first time all night. He had wanted to ask him the question earlier standing up there with the whole town watching; he didn't care if Zoe knew about this or not, he had already made his plans very clear to her, that he wanted to marry her, and that he would fulfill that promise, when the time was right for the both of them, but he had to ask Harkey first, per Zoe's request.

"What can I do for you, Wade?" Harley asked, giving his daughter's boyfriend his full attention.

"I want to marry your daughter, that is my intentions, has been since... That don't matter," he piped up, clearing his throat. "It matters now that I love your daughter very much; I never stopped loving her, and I will love her until my last breath."

"I am happy to hear that, Wade," Harley smiled, clasping his shoulder. "For the record, you have my permission when the time is right," he told him.

"Thank you, Harley," Wade smiled, hugging the older man.

"Thank you," Harley responded with a chuckle. He didn't need to ask why he was being thanked for; he could figure that much out on his own. Not that he needed to be thanked because he played a very small role in bringing Zoe back the most he did was come to his senses about the way he was living his life. "I heard that your dad will be back in town in a few days, have you made amends with him?"

Wade shook his head, his grip tightening on the cup in his hand. "Didn't even know he was coming back. I thought he was living the perfect life in New Orleans. Him drinking himself to death every night is one thing but getting up in the middle of the night to leave his two sons is something else entirely," he bitterly said.

"He needed that help, Wade. Nothing wrong with him going off to clean himself up."

"I'm glad that he is sober again, but it hurt when he left, without a word or concern for his two sons. He hasn't even reached out in the years he has been gone. He could have come back a year after getting himself clean, but he didn't and he didn't even call; he has yet to give me or Jesse an explanation on why he didn't come back. He wasn't the only one that was crushed when my mom died, but unlike him, the rest of us kept moving and refused to give up," Wade spat out, the distaste for his father clear on his tongue.

"Everyone deals with pain in their own way. I don't want you to miss a chance on making amends with your father before it is too late to do so," Harley informed him, walking off.

Wade replaced his cup for a bottle of beer, heading outside in the one direction no one was in, wanting to be alone to get his anger tucked away safely. The last thing he wanted to do was blow up at anyone.

"Wanna talk about it?" Jesse asked joining his brother. Wade shook his head, wanting his brother to leave him alone. "I overheard the tail end of that conversation. Harley is right; we need to make amends with him, no one is saying that you have to talk to him after doing so, but it is something you don't want to regret later. Hear him out," Jesse said.

"Why is it important to you? He is the one that left us."

"Because he will always be our father. Nothing will change that. And if you remember correctly you had Zoe to help keep you afloat with mom's death, and she was there for you when dad took off. However, you know he needed to do it."

"I know, Jesse. Even so, knowing it doesn't make it better. A heads up would've been nice, an explanation on why he didn't want to come back after he was clean would have been great to know. I'm happy that he found a way to move on from mom and get over his addiction to alcohol, what I am not happy about is that in the process of getting over both of those that he felt the need to get over his kids as well," Wade responded.

"Just think about it," Jesse sighed, pushing himself from the steps and heading back to the party.

"Everything okay?" Zoe questioned, sitting on his lap.

"No," he whispered. "Thank you for never giving up on me when I had already done so." She smiled softly at him, running a hand through his hair.

"Someone had to do it, and I was more than happy to be the one you choose, Wade. We've seen each other at our worst; I think it's time we get the chance to see each other at our best, and I know for a fact we haven't had our best days yet."

"They will have to wait; my dad is coming back in a few days. At least, that is the news according to your father. He didn't even feel the need to call and tell me."

"I'm sorry, and I can relate in a way; my mom didn't even want me when I was baby and I was able to make amends with her. I won't make you do anything when it comes to your dad because I saw the pain you were in, but every single step of the way I will be there for you," she assured him.

"I don't want to see him, but I don't know what to do," he sighed, dropping his head to her shoulder. Zoe kissed the top of his head.

"You have to do what feels right for you, Wade. Can't rush into anything and you can't let anyone push you into doing something you are not ready for."

"You are the best, do you know happy I am to have you by my side once more?" He questioned, leaning his forehead against hers.

"I do, Wade," she whispered, softly kissing him.


	14. Chapter 14

"These past two months have been great," Zoe commented over breakfast; they both managed to get the morning off.

Over the past two months, they had managed to have one or more meals together, depending on their schedule. Making time for each other was as simple as it should be. Everything had been easy for them. It gave each of them something to worry about because their relationship was easy, and they've had no problems in the last two months; they weren't going to start complaining about it because to them getting to where they were at was enough trouble and struggle for them to last a lifetime, and these happy, easy moments were enjoyed immensely.

"It really has been," he smiled, reaching across the table for her hand. "What is it?" He questioned, his smile still in place. Reading her like an open book was simple for him, like they hadn't been apart for the last ten years. Some things never changed.

"I don't want anyone to think that we are rushing into anything because we have only been back together for two months…"

"I can stay over less if that is what you want, Zo, I don't want you to start feelin' all uncomfortable or anything," he said, cutting her off, feeling like he had been kicked in the gut. Zoe couldn't help but giggle. "What is so dang funny?" He questioned, trying to pull his hand away, but she was faster and held on tighter.

"Don't be so offended," she replied, getting up to sit on his lap. "I was thinking the opposite, if you'd let me finish. You are here more days than not, we have known each other since we were little, dated for three years beforehand, I'm safe to assume that we can live together and the world will keep going, that is if you want to move in here, and we can make it our home, after all this is your home as much as it mine, it would be unfair to keep you from…" Her rant died against his lips.

"I love those rants just so I can kiss ya," he smirked, stroking the skin of her upper thigh. "If you oughta know, I'd like nothing more than to live here in our home with you," he smiled, back on the fluffy little cloud that had his and Zoe's name on it.

"Good," she smiled, bringing her lips to his.

All she wanted was to feel so light and happy, so in love. And that is what she has, and she wouldn't let it go. Couldn't let it go.

"I'll be home late," he commented later that morning, both getting ready to go. Normally, they would take one car, not much sense in taking two cars when they were going at the same time, seldomly they would take separate cars, today being one of them.

"Are you going to visit your father?" Zoe questioned, double checking she had what she needed.

"Something like that," he responded, rubbing his neck. He had yet to visit his father; Jesse had been, but Wade couldn't face him, not yet.

"When you're ready," she replied, pecking his lips. "Anything you want for dinner?"

"Surprise me," he whispered, pulling her back for a deeper, longer kiss.

* * *

She had been at work for an hour, her office door open, when she wasn't with a patient. She was left in charge when Brick took the rest of the day off, and Harley was needed out at Graham's farm. The only noise heard inside was the clicking of computer keys from Didi, who was filling in until they could find a replacement for Emmeline.

Hearing voices, Zoe made her way to the waiting area. She sucked a breath in seeing just who was sitting in a chair, bent over. She smiled taking the file from Didi.

"Hey Earl, follow me please," she said, getting his attention. He nodded and followed her. "What's wrong?" She questioned, moving her chair in front of him.

"It's my right elbow," he said. "Hurts like a sonofabitch."

"Okay, any tingling sensation?" Zoe asked, taking a look at his arm. He shook his head. "Has there been any weakness of the arm, wrist, or hand?" She asked then.

"A little bit," he told her.

"We'll get an x-ray done to be certain. To me, it sounds like you've got a posterior interosseous nerve syndrome," she told him, getting up. "It could also be tennis elbow."

"What is that?" He questioned all sorts of confused. "The first one."

She smiled, getting him ready for an x-ray. "Simply a pinched nerve," she informed him.

"Oh," he replied, doing as Zoe instructed him to do.

After getting the x-rays back, Zoe knew what was going on with her boyfriend's father. She wanted to spend as less time as she could with him. She didn't want to say the wrong thing and get his hopes up that Wade would be coming to see him in the near future, and she didn't want to disappoint him by making him think that Wade may never come around and make amends.

"Rest for the next few days," she told him after telling him what was going on in the x-ray, and he did, in fact, have a pinched nerve in his elbow. "Do some stretches, I've got a list of them you can do. Along with that, I've got a prescription for you for some anti-inflammatory medicine. I'll see you back in two weeks, if it gets worse, please come back in."

He nodded, making a move to the door. "Zoe, I'm glad to hear that my boys have you in their lives. I'm lucky that you have been there for Wade, and that you are you back in his life. I can't make him see me, but I'm sorry for everything I have put him through, will you make sure he knows that much?"

"I will do my best; we both know how stubborn he can be especially when he sets his mind to something. I wouldn't want to be anywhere else than with your son; he makes my life complete a lesson, I learned the hard way, and for Jesse, he makes a good friend, even a better brother. I make no promises with Wade, but I will stand by him and the choice he makes regarding your part in his life, you have to know this is not easy on him."

"I do know and thank you," he told her, heading out.

Zoe sighed, cleaning up the room. That had been a bit harder than she had expected it would be. She didn't want to sound as harsh as her words had made her sound regarding Wade, but he was his own person, and she can't make him do anything he doesn't want to do, and she isn't going to start a fight with him over it either because this choice was up to him to make and him alone.

* * *

"Are you ever going to hear dad out?" Jesse asked, catching Wade right before his shift was to end.

"Not today and the near future looks to be the same," he replied back. "Why do you care for any ways?"

"I don't want you to be making a big mistake," Jesse replied, gladly accepting the beer Wade shoved into his hands. "Why won't you go see him?"

"Because I'm not ready, because I don't know what to say to him," Wade said, feeling defeated. Having the same conversation with his brother daily was tiresome, and he couldn't do it anymore so telling Jesse the truth was the only way to escape.

"You don't have to say anything, just hear him out," Jesse stressed.

"I don't think I can do that right now," Wade replied, gathering his things to leave. He had somewhere he needed to be, and it didn't have to deal with Jesse grilling him about something he wasn't ready for. Ever since his dad left he had dreamed about the day he could confront him, tell him everything that he didn't have the chance to say to him, now that the day had finally arrived he didn't know what he could possibly say to his father to make things okay.

"Okay then, I see there is nothing I can do to make you do anything," Jesse replied, wanting only the best for Wade once more. He wasn't functioned to give up on his little brother.

"There isn't a thing," he responded. "Dude, I was okay with you pushing Zoe on me, but I'm not okay with you pushing Earl on me. I will do what feels right to me when it feels right to me," he warned his brother. "Now I've got things to do, or my girlfriend will be mad that I lied to her, and I have no intentions to lie to Zoe," he stated, heading out.

Jesse got up shortly after. If he couldn't talk sense into his brother, then maybe he could convince Zoe to talk to Wade into going to see their father. It was a long shot, but the only option left. He would try everything there was to get Wade over himself. Wade would regret not making amends if something was to happen, not that anything was wrong with Earl.

"Just the doctor I was looking for," Jesse smirked seeing Zoe sitting outside the practice.

"Having a break," she shrugged. With her dad back and the place empty she figured she'd take a small break and enjoy the beautiful weather the day gave them. "But if you are here to talk about Wade or your father, save it, Jesse. We both know Wade wouldn't listen; this is something he needs to figure out on his own and come to terms with it in his own way. I respect that, I know how it feels after all," she informed him.

"I need new friends," he joked, joining her on the bench.

"You'd miss us," she smiled. "Don't deny it," she told him. "Just because you found it easy to make amends with your father doesn't mean it's that easy for Wade. Please, Jesse, I am begging you, just let it go and when Wade is ready to go see Earl, he will go, in the meantime let Wade do what he needs to do," she advised him.

"That may be so, but I still need new friends," he replied, arching an eyebrow. "I will back off, I won't say another word."

"Good and if you do go visit your father, make sure he is resting his right arm; he has a pinched nerve, and I would hate to see him do more damage to it," she informed him.

"Ya know; Wade takes after him in that aspect, both too damn stubborn for their own damn good. I'll see what I can do about that, but I can't promise a single thing," he informed her.

"I know," she replied getting up. "Did Wade say what he had planned after his shift to you?" She questioned before walking back inside.

"No, just that he didn't want to lie to you about what he was doing, why?"

"It's nothing," she brushed him off, walk inside. If he wasn't going to spend time with Earl, that only meant one thing, and it really was nothing to worry about. "I'm going to take off, if you need my help with anything just call," she informed her dad.

"I'll be fine, not much going on anyway, besides you should have been out of here over an hour ago," her dad told her. She didn't mind staying a little late to help out. She quite enjoyed it.

"Tomorrow?" She questioned, giving him a hug.

"Around 9, that okay?"

"We will be there, need us to bring anything?" She asked. One of her favorite parts of living in Bluebell was the little family dinners they had each week and now that she was back in town, she wouldn't miss them for the world.

"Just Wade," he replied with a chuckle. Zoe rolled her eyes, making her way to her office to collect her things.

She thought about going home to find something to make for dinner. She loved to cook, enjoyed baking more. She spent most of her nights growing up helping her father in the kitchen preparing dinner. Those were some of her favorite memories from her childhood. Had something in mind when she spotted her boyfriend's car.

One look at the cemetery had her parking her car. She couldn't just go by, not when she knew that Wade was there. Walking further through the cemetery the easier it was to hear Wade's voice, it was hushed, but she could make out a few words.

"I haven't been here in quite a while," Zoe commented softly sitting by her boyfriend. "She was very much a mother to me."

"She loved you; she wanted a daughter of her own, heard her say so more than a few times," he chuckled, pulling Zoe's hand closest to him onto his lap. "I always believed at times that he loved you more than me or Jesse."

"Is that why I went from being your friend to you ignoring me the whole year in 4th grade?" She questioned, laying her head on his shoulder.

"It was wrong of me, but that is the reason," he confessed, kissing the top of her head. "I am sorry for the hurt, I caused you that year."

"You have already apologized for that, Wade. Water under the bridge. Though it is good to know the real reason after all these years. I will have you know that I tried to figure out what I had done wrong to make you hate me, went over everything I ever said to you, and I always came up empty, now I know why that is," she smiled, tilting her head to kiss his cheek.

"It was never you, doc, just me being jealous. You oughta know that she loved you like a daughter, wanted the world for you like he did for myself and Jesse."

"I saw part of the world, and I have the world I want right here with you," she sweetly told him.

"That is excellent news because the only part of this world I want is the part that has you in it," he told her.

"That is excellent news," she smiled. "I'll be at home, when you are ready to come home. And for extra incentive, there will be homemade stew waiting."

"Like I need any extra incentives other than I get to come home to you," he smirked with a wiggle of his eyebrows.

"That's what I like to hear," she giggled, walking off.


	15. Chapter 15

**Hey everyone, this chapter was going to include the whole Wade/Earl scene, but I felt it was best I end things where I did. Also you need to remember that in the flashback scene that Zoe and Jesse are not friends, like I have portrayed throughout this fic. Enjoy!**

* * *

 _~Flashback~_

 _"Have you seen dad?" Wade asked, coming downstairs seeing his older brother at the table, eating a bowl of cereal and finishing his homework up at the last minute._

" _He wasn't here when I got up, not sure what he had to do today," Jesse replied between spoonfuls of cereal._

" _Weird," Wade replied, grabbing a bowl. "Really?" Wade sighed, picking the empty gallon of milk up. "You couldn't have saved some for me?"_

" _Early bird gets the milk," Jesse laughed._

" _That's not how it goes; stupid," Wade grumbled, grabbing his bag and headed out. He knew exactly who would save him something to eat, and it would be hot at that._

 _He spent very little time worrying about his dad; he would stop by the police station and have a chat with Bill and see what was going on. The last time Earl didn't make it home he was sitting behind bars, sleeping off the alcohol he had consumed. Wade wasn't worried on that front. He had more things to worry about like the history final and the English final he had for the day. Yesterday he took the math and science final, more than likely failing them both. School wasn't his focusing point in the last two years._

" _Your dad gone to?" He asked, walking into the house. Zoe rolled her eyes, at her best friend entering her house. It was useless to tell him to knock; he never listened anyway, not that it much mattered; she didn't exactly knock when she entered his house either._

" _Left a few minutes ago, there's a plate for you in the kitchen," she told him. "I need to finish getting ready, and we can go," she informed him heading up to her room._

 _He wandered into the kitchen, easily spotting his plate of bacon and eggs; he popped a piece of toast in the toaster and dug the butter out of the fridge. Most mornings they had breakfast waiting for him, took him a few days to be okay with it, he didn't want to seem like a charity case after losing his mom two years ago. He learned quickly they did it because they cared about him, something he knew all along._

 _He had just polished off the last of the bacon when Zoe appeared again._

" _You ready?" He questioned, placing his plate in the sink. "Who you trying to impress?" He asked, grabbing his bag off the floor where he dropped it._

" _Can't I look nice for no one other than myself?" She asked, zipping her bag up now that she had the right books placed inside it._

" _That's not what I meant," he scoffed, holding the front door open for her. "You always look nice, just today it seems like a little much for school," he explained as best as he could._

" _There may be someone, but it's not like he sees me in that way to begin with so it doesn't matter," she shrugged, glancing at him to see what his reaction would be._

" _Whoever the guy is, it is his loss 'cause you Zoe Wilkes are awesome. And if he can't see that, you can find someone better," he replied, casually tossing an arm around her shoulders._

" _Maybe, who is the ladies' man Wade Kinsella crushing on these days?" She asked in a teasing tone, holding her jealousy at bay._

" _That's not me," he groaned. "You don't believe the shit girls at school spread do you? Other than a handful of dates that ended with a little heated make out sessions, nothing happened."_

" _I don't believe them because I know you wouldn't do something like that," she assured him._

" _Exactly," he replied. "I don't want a girlfriend right now," he sighed. He had other things to worry about than treating a girlfriend how they needed to be treated; he couldn't give them close to enough attention; it was easier if he stayed single._

" _You ready for the English final?" She asked then; it was the one class they did have together. Wade shrugged. "Okay then, your birthday is coming up, anything you want for it?" She asked._

" _Cake," he smirked at her. Zoe rolled her eyes, nudging him with her elbow. "I really don't care," he shrugged. "I'm only turning 15; I know better than to ask for my mom back or to ask for my dad to give the bottle up for a day. I'm cool with whatever you have in mind for the day since it is a Saturday," he informed her. "Good luck on your finals," he said, parting ways with her. Unlike Wade, she had her English, History and Science finals today._

" _I need your help," Wade pleaded, grabbing Zoe at lunch. She sighed, not really wanting to hear the details of this favor._

" _What is it?" She asked, holding a straight face._

" _If Cindy asks, we have plans after school," he told her._

" _Right," she said bitterly. "Who are you really going to be with. Normally when I have to do this you are off doing something else with someone else." She was making this out to be more than it truly was, she got that, it was wrong of her, but she hated it; she liked him more than a friend, has had a crush on him for the past year; she couldn't help but feel jealous._

" _Bill, gotta talk to him about my dad, you can come with so that way you're not lying. He didn't come home and I really don't want to make it a big deal," he shrugged._

" _You know I'll come with you," she informed him. "Anything to help you."_

" _You do know this goes both ways; I'll be there if you need anything," he informed her. She smiled, nodding. She did know, and that was part of the reason on why she was too afraid to admit to him that she has this massive crush on him._

 _After their last class for the day, Wade was waiting by Zoe's locker for her. On the walk to the police station, he made plans with Zoe to catch a ride with Jesse and head to Mobile to catch a movie. Zoe learned not to get her hopes up as they did things like this all the time as friends._

" _Hey Bill, my dad free to go yet?" Wade asked, stopping at the deputy's desk, not seeing the sheriff wasn't in._

" _Sorry kid, but I haven't seen your dad in a few days, didn't Jesse tell you? I told him the same thing," Bill informed him. "He missing or something, I can go out and look for him, if you need me to," Bill told him._

" _I'll get back to you on that," Wade told him. "It's weird," he commented, stepping out of the station._

" _I'll help you look," Zoe offered._

" _Okay," Wade agreed. "First let's drop our bags off at your place," he suggested, which Zoe easily agreed to._

 _They searched all the places Earl would normally be at around Bluebell; their little boat was still tied to the dock, no sign of it being out in days. The search didn't last long when they were back at Zoe's place. He grabbed his bag from her house, and together they walked to his house. He became worried when he searched his house yet again with no sign of his dad._

" _It doesn't make sense," he sighed, dropping to sit by her on the couch. "He never just takes off like this, every single time he has let us know. What am I missing?" He questioned, rubbing his hands over his face._

 _Zoe went to answer him when Jesse burst into the house._

" _I found our father," Jesse announced, coming home in the middle of his shift. "I've been calling his phone for a few hours now. Finally someone called, he checked himself into rehab, forgot to inform his kids," Jesse explained, pissed off._

" _You're serious?" Wade asked dumbfounded. Jesse nodded his head. "What the hell?" Wade yelled his anger winning out in the end. "It would have been nice of him to let us know what the hell was going on."_

" _You guys can come stay with us," Zoe offered, not exactly sure what she could say in such a situation like this. She was happy that Earl was getting the help he needed; she however, didn't think it was cool of him to do so in such a way._

" _I can take care of my brother," Jesse snapped. "I'll be home later with dinner, do your homework," Jesse told him, taking off._

" _I can go if you want me to," she told Wade, not sure if he wanted her around, it was clear that Jesse didn't._

" _Can you stay?" Wade asked. Zoe nodded her head. "Actually let's go back to your place, so we can do our work together," he suggested, remembering that Zoe didn't bring her bag with. Part of it was for that reason, but the bigger part was because he couldn't stand to be in his house, with a reminder of his father around him._

" _You got everything?" She questioned._

 _He had her wait and went upstairs to get some extra clothes; he was certain that he wouldn't be making it home for a few days; he was positive that Jesse wouldn't show back up either, but in case he did he would stop in and tell Jesse what as going on._

" _On behalf of my brother, I am sorry for him snapping at you, but…" She placed a hand on his arm._

" _I can understand; it is a tough and angering moment; he didn't mean it. And I do know that he can take care of you, but he shouldn't have to, that is what I meant," she told him._

" _You are a good friend, Zoe Wilkes," Wade smiled, happy to have someone like Zoe in his corner, because he was going to need her._

* * *

"Give it to me straight," Wade sighed, a few days later. They were sitting outside their house. Wade had just finished unpacking the last of his stuff. They both had the day off after getting the days off to get Wade moved in. Zoe already had the day free, and it wasn't hard for Wade to switch a day around.

"You have to be clearer, Wade," she told him, looking up from the book she was reading. There wasn't much for her to do when Wade was putting away the last of his things, so she grabbed a book and sat outside, Wade joining her minutes ago.

"This whole thing with my dad, tell me what you think I should do," he told her.

"You already know. I highly think that you need to go hear him out, Wade. Making amends can only happen if he is alive. Don't you have things that you wish you could tell your mom?"

"So many," he replied, getting up to pace. "I want to go there and have it out with him. Yell, hug, all that jazz, but I'm having trouble taking that step," he confessed.

"Then why don't we invite him over for dinner, tonight, tomorrow night, later in the week, whenever," Zoe suggested, getting up to hug him from behind. "I'll be there every step," she assured him, placing a kiss to his back. "Me and you, love."

"Me and you, Doc," he repeated, turning around, holding her close. "I like that idea a lot. Tomorrow works," he replied.

"Then tomorrow it is," she responded, looking up at him, her chin resting against his chest. "I didn't think it would be this easy to convince you to see your dad," she commented.

"I know when I'm fighting a losing battle. I'm mad at him for what he did. It's not even about him leaving us for rehab, but the fact he didn't come back when he was clean." He was upset with the way he had taken off, but not mad at him not when the prospect of having his father back was there in the forefront of his mind.

"These are things you need to tell him."

"I will," he assured her.


	16. Chapter 16

**After reading reviews I caved and have you guys what you wanted. This whole chapter is a flashback, months after the flashback in the previous chapter. I promise the Wade/Earl talk will happen in the next chapter. Enjoy and have a good weekend everyone.**

* * *

 _~Flashback~_

" _We need to talk," Jesse informed Wade, interrupting the study session going on in the living room between Wade and Zoe._

" _Can't it wait?" Wade questioned. He wouldn't even care if he didn't have to worry about what grade Zoe would get. He had no choice but to pull his weight on their project; Zoe was making him do so._

" _It's fine, Wade. I need to go. Dinner with the whole Wilkes clan," she smiled, getting her things put away. "Call if you need me," she told him, walking out, sparing no glance at Jesse._

" _What's going on?" Wade asked, stuffing his papers into a folder._

" _Dad called; he's not coming home, Wade." It was the worst news that you could give your little brother. "He wants to..."_

 _"He can want a lot of things, doesn't mean I need to hear them when the one thing I need is for my dad to come home and be a father, even if it is for a weekend. How many excuses do you need him to tell you, before you get sick of it?" Wade asked, walking out the door._

 _He needed Zoe, and he felt horrible for depending on her so much as of late. Other than Zoe and his brother, he didn't have anyone else he could go to that knew what they did. His friends told him that they were there for him, he just, couldn't do it._

 _"What happened?" Zoe asked, shutting the car door. She was getting inside her dad's car when Wade showed up._

 _"My dad isn't coming for a visit," he whispered._

 _Zoe nodded, taking a few minutes to talk with her dad. She was looking forward to seeing her family, and she would suggest Wade come with them, but she had a feeling that was the last thing on his mind, and he would rather be alone or at the very most with her._

 _"Come on," she said ushering Wade into the house and up to her room. "Want to talk about it?" She asked sitting on her bed; her legs stretched out in front of her._

 _Wade said nothing, sitting on the bed next to her, kicking his shoes off. He laid down, placing his head on her lap. A sad smile on his lips feeling Zoe's fingers in his hair._

 _"I really wanted to see him; I've learned over the last few months not to get my hopes up when it comes to him and visiting for a weekend, I figured this time would be different," he explained, gripping onto her leg. "I wanted it to be different, Zo."_

 _"I can't make promises or excuses for him," she started off saying, gently scratching his scalp. "I can't tell you what you want to hear neither."_

 _"Then what can you tell me?" He asked with a small hint of amusement to his voice._

 _"That I will be here for you because I care about you, that you are an amazing person, you have a big heart, that you're strong even when you doubt yourself. You are my best friend, Wade. I get you miss your dad, and that is perfectly okay. He hurt you, and that isn't something you can easily let go, and he keeps doing it, but I'm sure that's not how he sees it. He did things wrong, but he had to go and him staying away there has to be a reason behind it, doesn't mean you have to like it," she told him._

 _"There is a reason, I didn't stay to listen to what that reason might be. I'm fed up with reasons and excuses on why he can't come back here. I'm proud of him for what he is doing, I won't take that away from him, but I do miss him," he sighed, trailing his fingers down Zoe's leg, making her squirm._

 _"Wade, stop that tickles," she laughed, trying to move his hand._

 _Wade smirked, his fingers moving to tickle her sides. She tried to push his hands away, but he was stronger, his fingers easily moving up her sides; he tossed a leg over her, straddling her lap as he tickled._

 _"Stop," she laughed, pushing against his chest, her hands staying on his chest as her laughter drifted off, his fingers stilling against her sides, their eyes locked._

 _"I should go," he said, his eyes glancing at her lips. "I have to go," he quickly said, scrambling to his feet._

 _"Wade," she said, sitting up, fixing her shirt from where to rode up while he was tickling her. She didn't want him to feel weird or for things to suddenly become awkward between them over what did and didn't happen._

 _"Thanks, you are a true very, a good one," he told her, scooping his shoes up and walking out of her bedroom._

 _Zoe fell back on her bed, closing her eyes to go over everything that went on in her head; they hadn't even kissed, and she felt like a big idiot. This was his way of showing her that he didn't feel anything other than friendship for her. It was clear that he saw her feelings for him, and it hurt to know that he would never see her as anything other than a friend._

 _"I'm a horrible friend," Wade burst out seeing his brother on the couch. Jesse chuckled, tossing his pen down, apparently his brother was over his father not coming to visit them and was onto something or rather someone else, and he had a good inkling that it had to do with Zoe._

 _"What dear brother makes you say that?" Jesse asked with a half smirk._

 _"I want to have sex with my best friend," he blurted out, falling into a chair. "I want to be with her, be her boyfriend," he confessed._

 _"What brought this on?" Jesse asked more seriously._

 _"We were talking, and then that turned into me tickling her, and I wanted to kiss her, and I think she wanted me to kiss her, but I took off," he explained, running a hand through his hair._

 _"And how in the world did wanting to kiss her turn into wanting have sex with her?" Jesse asked, wondering how that one worked out for his little brother._

 _"It didn't at first," he stated, feeling slightly offended. "On the walk home, I got to thinking because I couldn't not think about wanting to kiss Zoe and see if her lips felt as soft and juicy as they look and BAM!" He yelled, clapping his hands together. "The next thing I'm thinking about is sex with my best friend, which can't happen because I need Zoe," he pleaded._

 _"You know kissing Zoe or even dating her wouldn't ruin the bond you have with her; it would only make it stronger. That girl has had the biggest crush on you for the past few years, and you have been blind by what's going on in this family to see it," Jesse told him. Wade shook his head, she did not like him in any way other than a friend. "You could walk up to her and kiss her out of the damn blue and what do you think she would do?" Jesse asked, leaning forward._

 _"She would shove me away, then slap me across the face, mutter how big of a disgrace I am and avoid me, and because I was being stupid about kissing her, I would lose her as my friend," he retorted. Jesse shook his head._

 _"You wouldn't lose her, Wade. That scenario is wrong. She would gladly kiss you back. If you don't believe me, go up to her and kiss her, and if you are too much of a chicken shit to do that, then talk to her and be honest with her, both are scary options but both need to be done," Jesse told him getting up. "I see you guys together, and I see how she looks at you and how you have been looking at her. I want you to have happiness in our chaotic life; you deserve it," Jesse said, leaving him be._

 _He shook off the ridiculous notion of Zoe wanting to be with him. That was the furthest thing from the truth. However, the look in her eye when he was about to kiss her, that told him something else. Even so, it didn't mean that she wanted to date him, making out and dating were too very different things._

 _He took the weekend to think about the actions he was going to take come Monday morning. Kissing her sounded terrifying if not amazing, talking to her sounded stupid to an extent, whether he kissed her or not it needed to happen, he couldn't hide his feelings for her, which he realized he did have, he couldn't pinpoint when he started to see her as more, but it happened and he did have to do something about that. He couldn't lose her over something like this, and if he didn't tell her that was going to happen, he would push her away. He knew what needed to be done, and he hoped that she wouldn't laugh at him. It was a bit much to ask of her to like him as anything other than a friend._

 _When Monday came he was running late. The plan had been to talk to Zoe on the walk to school, get it over with so he wouldn't freak out all day about it and overact. That plan was shot to hell because he overslept, and his brother had left an hour before he had to get up to make it to his class on time. The thought of staying home was a pleasant one; however, it was one that couldn't happen for him._

 _"Zoe, can we talk?" He asked, spotting his friend minutes before the bell was to ring for first period._

 _"Can it wait? I don't want to be late for class," she told him._

 _"It is important, but uh yeah it can wait, lunch okay with you?" He asked._

 _"Lunch would be perfect," she told him with a smile, relieved that he was talking to her. She spent her weekend worried that he would no longer want anything to do with her._

 _"Great," he smiled, heading to his own class, the bell ringing before he got through the door. It wouldn't be the last time he would be late for class._

 _For Zoe the day moved by fast, and lunch was there with a little blink of her eye; however, for Wade; the day had dragged on and by the time lunch came around he felt as if they should be leaving school for home._

 _"I want to talk about what happened at your house," Wade said, sitting outside under a tree, no one else around them._

 _"If it is better for you nothing else happened," she stated, looking down._

 _"It wouldn't be better actually. Jesse suggested that I just kiss you," he confessed, getting Zoe to snap her head up._

 _"What?" Zoe asked, choking on her voice._

 _"He said I should do this," Wade said softly, cupping her cheeks and pulling her face towards his. Their lips meeting in a soft kiss. "Be my girlfriend, Zoe."_

 _"Yes, of course I'll be your girlfriend, but what brought this on?" She questioned, her palm against his cheek. A smile upon her face._

 _"I came to my senses," he responded. "Jesse was there to help me along, why didn't you say anything? All those times I asked about who you had a crush on and who you were trying to impress, it was me, wasn't it?" He asked with a small laugh._

 _"It was," she smiled. "Scared, you had this interest in all these other girls, and I didn't want to lose your friendship, Wade."_

 _"I know what you mean, I felt the same until I was told that our bond wouldn't break, it would become stronger and now that you are mine Zoe Wilkes; I believe that," he smiled, kissing her once more._


	17. Chapter 17

"You're home early," Wade commented, looking up from what he was doing to see his girlfriend standing before him.

"And you're home and not at work," she commented, sitting in his lap. "What's going on?" She questioned, running a hand through his hair.

"Nothing's wrong, I'm fine," he replied; Zoe shook her head. She wanted to believe him. How could she believe him, when she could sense that he didn't believe it himself?

"I would let that go, Wade, but we both know you're not really fine. It's okay to be anxious about tonight. There is a lot of history that needs sorting out there." She wasn't anxious just worried that they would get into a fight, and that would be the end to it, and all hope would be lost.

"It seems silly to have this grudge against him." Zoe went to protest; Wade was quicker on cutting her off with a peck to her lips. "He left; I was hurt," he sighed, dropping his head to her shoulder. "He left for a valid reason; I wish…" This time she did cut him off.

"I know all of this, Wade. I was with you then; I wasn't there for you when he decided that he needed a fresh start elsewhere," she tried to be. "For that I am sorry that I couldn't have been the pillar of strength for you," she spoke softly, her nails gently scraping his scalp in a calming matter. "I am here for you now, and that is what matters and your dad is back, and he wants to be a part of your life, and I highly think you should let him; baby steps are welcomed in a situation like this."

"You are here now and whatever happened in the past when you were trying to achieve your dream, can't be at fault, I would never make you choose between the two of them. I would have loved to have your full attention then because I wanted the comfort only you can give me, however, I wasn't that selfish of a prick. I needed to go through that alone, so I could grow. Just please don't leave me tonight," he begged slightly.

"I wouldn't want to be anywhere else than next to you for as long as you need me to be there, Wade." She would be a horrible girlfriend if she was to abandon him now. She couldn't do anything when she was gone off looking at her future school, now she could be his strength for the night.

"Why don't you show me just how much you want to be with me," he teased, his breath tickling her neck.

Zoe giggled, shaking her head, resting her palm against his cheek. "Unfortunately, I can't; I will tonight once your father leaves. I've already been gone longer than I said," she told him, slipping from his lap.

"Do not tell me that you are passing up sex with me to hang out with my brother," he pleaded with her, a pinch of jealousy poking through.

"That is cute you think I am turning you down to spend time with your brother," she laughed softly. "I have always been friends with you longer than Jesse; I wasn't his friend until my second year of college. I was called in for a few hours in Mobile; I will be back before your dad gets here, I promise," she told him, with a kiss.

"I know I said I wasn't that big of a selfish prick, but Zoe, I need you here, can't you call them back and tell them you have a family emergency?" He pouted, holding her in place by her hips.

"I wish I could, Wade; I can't," she told him sadly. "I know he is not the same but talk to Jesse; he can give you more insight then I can; I'm sorry," she told him, bending down to share a quick kiss with him before rushing out the door.

With a sigh, he grabbed his keys and went in search of his brother. It wasn't so much the insight he needed but rather the company to keep his mind from the million different scenarios on how the night was going to play out when he was in the same room as his father. He didn't want to think that it would be a disaster, parts of it were going to be and there was no way to avoid that, he hoped that things could be salvageable by the end of the night. As much as he didn't want to partake in this, it was a lie, he was only pushing his dad away because he couldn't face the truth, didn't want to see the truth that had been there all along. He was too old to keep running from it all. Amends had to be made for the both of them.

"I didn't know you were stopping by," Jesse told him, pulling the house door open to let his brother into the house.

"Wasn't planning on it, I'm only here 'cause my girlfriend ditched me for work," he sighed, grabbing a beer from the fridge. "You don't drink wine; Zoe is the only one I know to drink wine, and I have never seen it in there for her before," Wade commented. He was just here the other day and there was no wine in the fridge.

"If you must know it is not for Zoe, though she can have some if any is left when she comes around next," he informed his brother. "While you have been freighting over Dad being back, I've had my own life to live," he filled his brother in.

"What's her name and how long?" Wade pestered, sitting down on the couch, waiting for the details on his brother's personal life.

"I have known Willow for like two months, right now we are getting to know each other," he replied, the smirk on his face giving him away.

"Getting to know each other in very personal ways," Wade teased, taking a drink of his beer. "Either way, good for you Jesse."

"For what getting laid?" Jesse asked with a laugh.

Wade choked on his beer, Jesse laughing harder, hitting his brother on the back. "For finding someone to deal with you," he clarified, with a hoarse voice.

"Don't even get me started on how you were able to win Zoe back," Jesse threatened in a teasing tone.

"I bought her a home and not just any home her dream home and fixed it up the way she has always dreamt of her dream home," Wade replied smugly.

"Dude, don't rub it in, it is already hard enough to get a woman, and once they learn what my little brother did for the love of his life, I've got to find something that is hugely as romantic as that, so thanks for setting the bar so un-fucking-believably high," Jesse seethed out in more of a friendly tone than anything else.

"You are welcome," Wade responded smugly.

"I was being sarcastic you little ass," Jesse laughed. Wade laughed, finishing off his beer.

* * *

She was feeling terrible. This was one promise that she didn't intend on breaking, and she was running late. She intended on being home a half-hour before Earl was set to show up, and at the rate, things had gone for her, Earl was going to be there before she got there to help calm her boyfriend's nerves down. There was nothing she could do about it though, she was shuffled into surgery on a little boy no older than the age of 9. The surgery took an hour longer than necessary.

"Sorry I'm late," she called into the house. She frowned when all that met her ears was silence. Walking through the house, she smiled seeing her boyfriend curled up on the couch upstairs. "Hey," she whispered, kissing his cheek.

"Hi," he sleepily smiled, pulling his girlfriend on top of him. "I could stay like this the rest of the night." He dismissed the fact she was late; she couldn't clock out of work or rush through something and make a life-threatening mistake because he was a bit needy of a boyfriend, and it wasn't like his father was there, so there was no point to be mad at her over something she couldn't control.

"Same here, however, your dad should be here any second now, and we have nothing on the stove cooking or in the oven for him," she informed him. He groaned, hugging her tighter.

"Can we pretend we are not home?" He questioned with a cute little pout.

"No," Zoe responded, kissing the pout from his lips.

Hands didn't get a chance to roam as there was a knock on the door. Wade sighed, moving Zoe from his lap and got up.

"It will be okay and I'm right here," she assured him, taking his hand in hers. He smiled, bringing her hand up to place a kiss on the back.

The first few minutes were awkward to say the least, Wade wasn't saying anything, Earl had plenty to say, just couldn't get the words out and as for Zoe, she didn't know what to say, she had already asked him about his elbow, and once that conversation came to an end so did everything around them.

"Sorry doesn't seem like enough," Earl started to say, clearing his throat.

"I don't know if it is or not," Wade said, cutting his father off. "I don't even care that you didn't tell me about rehab; I was happy that you got the help you needed; I'm over that pain; I want to know why you had to start fresh elsewhere and why you couldn't, or you wouldn't come see your sons? The whole thing was hard on us and its like you didn't even care," he got out, his anger and his pain taking over. Zoe took his hand under the table where he had them in fists.

"And I am sorry about that, I wanted you both to come live with me after I got clean, I talked to Jesse about it, and he refused; I figured you would have done the same thing. After getting clean, I couldn't come back here, Wade, your mother's memory is everywhere, and I knew it would make me relapse. I needed to be elsewhere to stay clean. I never wanted to hurt you, Wade. I wanted the best and to give you that I had to remove myself from the equation. I was only thinking about my boys, Wade."

"I know how hard it is to come back and face the ones you hurt," Zoe interjected, placing her free hand on her boyfriend's arm. "There were so many times that I didn't even want to come back because I knew how hard it was going to be, and I didn't know how it would work out for me in the end. You forgave me and I know it's not as bad as what your dad had done, but find it in yourself to forgive him, because we are never too old to need our parents in our lives."

"It's not the same," Wade retorted. "I let you go because it was the right thing to do, I knew where you were at, I didn't know where my dad went or why he couldn't come home, and for the record, it would have been nice to be asked, to be given the chance on what I wanted."

"It's not, but I do know a thing or two about a parent leaving you. I got to believe for 18 years of my life that my mother didn't want me, to feel unwanted, that I was nothing to her, and that she could so easily abandon her only child. You know what?" She asked, needing a moment to reign her emotions in. Wade shook his head. "She didn't abandon me; she wanted me, but she couldn't be a mother, so she did what was the best for me, she gave me my best chance and that is what your dad did for you, he went about it wrong, and that is what it comes down to," she told him taking a deep breath, the next part of what she had to say wasn't going to be easy for him to hear. "You might have known this if you got off that damn high horse you were on and talk to him while he was in rehab, and any time after that. Your dad isn't the only one at fault here," she said getting up. "Now excuse me while I go figure out dinner," she stated, leaving father and son alone.

"She sure is a feisty one," Earl chuckled. Wade laughed despite being mad at his father.

"Like you wouldn't believe," Wade smiled. "Makes me want to miss the days when she was shy and afraid of her feelings for me," he commented.

"I want to make it up to you, Wade. We can rebuild our relationship as slow as you want to go," he assured his son. "It was wrong of me to think the way I did concerning if you would move to be with me, it was wrong of me to leave without a word, and I know it's not a reason or an excuse but it was the middle of the night, and I was drunk when I left wanting to be a better father for you, I was wrong not to come back sooner, and I tried to a million times," he paused, taking a deep breath. "I couldn't do it; it hurt to know she wasn't going to be here and that need to drink was stronger than ever, it will always be there, but now I have a better control on it. You have to know that I was hurt, that my actions hurt me and knowing that I could lose you or your brother for doing what I had done was the hurt and pain I got to live with. What do you say?"

"I say my girlfriend was right, and I am to blame for things. I could have picked a phone up; I could have let this go sooner. You are my dad and I love you, and I do want that relationship that was ruined because I take after my father," Wade smiled, letting all his hate and pain go away; it did no good for anyone for him to hold onto it any longer. "You want something to drink?" Wade asked getting up. He had to check on his girlfriend.

"Water is fine," Earl replied with a smile knowing that wasn't the main reason his son was going to the kitchen for.

"I shall have you know that you Zoe Wilkes cannot be abandoned by anyone, that you are wanted," he whispered, coming up behind her. "I like it a lot when you go off like that," he husked out, nipping at her neck. "Thank you," he said, tilting her head just right to capture her lips.

He was lucky to have Zoe back in his life, to set him straight; she was the one thing that had been missing from his life. She was everything he needed, and he could only believe and trust that he was everything to her as well. They worked better together than apart.

"I love you," was the only response she gave him.

"Love you," he replied, kissing her nose. "Dinner smells amazing," he said, getting two cups of ice and two cans of coke. "Need me l will be in there rebuilding my bond with father brick by brick," he informed his girlfriend with a small smile.

She smiled going back to the food in front of her, not wanting to burn any of it. She was pleased that they had been able to work things out.


	18. Chapter 18

"Hey Zo, I thought we could order in and have a little uncensored fun, " Wade suggested, "or not," he said, walking into the bedroom to see his girlfriend, in a dress with a little white sweater over it. "You are looking smokin' Doc, did I miss the memo about having plans for the night?" He asked, sitting on the bed, his eyes trained on his girlfriend. "If it is a girls' night can you cancel; your boyfriend is feeling a little needy tonight," he whined, reaching out for her.

"No memo," she told him, sitting on his lap. A girls' night out would be made for a later date, she did need a night out to really catch up with her girl friends. "No girls' night out, you are needy quite a lot," she retorted, pushing his shirt up, promoting him to lift his arms up, so she could pull the garment off. "We do have dinner plans with your brother and this girlfriend of his," she said against his lips.

"Do we have to go?" He pouted, making quick works of the little white sweater she was wearing, letting it drop to the floor. "After all the stress as of late all I really want to do is stay in and enjoy you," he husked out, tugging on her bottom lip with his teeth.

"We do," she managed to get out. "I have got the weekend off; we can lock ourselves in all weekend and never once get dressed," she suggested in a sultry voice, her tongue lapping at his neck.

"That is a much more brilliant idea than the one I had," he moaned out. "Give me a few extra minutes."

She smiled, kissing his nose, leaving him alone to get ready for the night. His suggestion of staying in did sound appealing, they had been through so much that staying in as a couple was heaven to her. The nights following the talk between father and son, they were busy, falling into bed and cuddling the most they are up for doing. So staying home was very appealing to her, she was, however, curious on who Jesse's girlfriend was. As the best friend, it was her duty to make sure that Willow's intentions were good. She felt that after everything, she wasn't being a very good best friend to him and now that they lived in the same town once more, it was time to start acting like a best friend should.

"Where are we going?" Wade asked, buttoning his shirt up as he came downstairs. "I do look okay right?" He asked with a spin.

"Good enough to eat," she purred, fixing the collar of his shirt. "A little seaside restaurant in Mobile," she told him, smoothing out his shirt.

A guy could only take so much teasing from his girlfriend before he was forced to do something about that, and his brother could wait a few extra minutes; his brother was the least of his worries, hoisting his girlfriend up on the kitchen counter.

* * *

"I would be sorry we are late if I actually meant it," Wade said in a way of greeting, pulling a chair out for his girlfriend.

"Excuse my brother, there are times where he doesn't have a filter," Jesse told his girlfriend. It had only been official for a few nights now. She wanted to meet his family and for him that started with Wade and Zoe. He already explained the situation to her with his father. "My brother Wade and his girlfriend, Zoe," he introduced. "And this is my girlfriend, Willow."

"Hi, I've actually heard more about the best friend than the stubborn younger brother. For a while, I thought I had every reason to be jealous and envy of his best friend, kept me from really committing to him until I learned you were dating his little brother who bought you a house," she rambled off.

"He did and as romantic as it really is, when he gave it to me, things weren't good between us. I lived in New York, and at the time I had no intentions of moving back here. Things worked out for the best, and I wouldn't change that. It is his home as much as it is mine," she explained, interlacing her fingers with his atop of the table, taking a look at the menu, Wade looking over her shoulder, pointing things out.

"I was in the same boat as you, jealous and envious of the friendship these two have," he said, looking up from the menu, to look at the red-head with deep-blue eyes.

"Don't forget pissed, that I stole your ex-girlfriend and your best friend," Jesse laughed.

Their conversation came to a halt when the waiter came and took their order.

"That too," he admitted openly, after the waiter left. "You knew how I felt about her, and it was like you didn't care." It was a small part in the already bad part of his life. He wouldn't deny it. "At the time, I didn't think just assumed that you were after her, I didn't have much faith left at that point."

"I know but it took her a year to trust that I only wanted to be friends and to know that it wasn't about you," Jesse shared.

"I believe I punched you once too," she laughed.

"I need to hear that story," Wade piped in, looking between his brother and his girlfriend.

"Not much to tell, I was studying, and he found me, startled me, and I punched him," Zoe shrugged, leaning into Wade. He placed a lingering kiss to her temple.

"Black eye for a week," he chuckled, touching his left eye. "Stung a few days after."

"You deserved it after telling your girl lies about me," Wade smirked, wishing he would have been able to witness that or even hear about it. He saw his brother in person when his black eye was fading, never did get the truth out of him about it though, and now he knew why.

"What lies?" Zoe questioned with a smirk. "Enough about us, we want to know how you two met," Zoe said.

"It was at a little bakery in Fairhope. I was undecided on what I wanted and Jesse as impatient as he can be, offered his expertise to hurry me along," Willow laughed, taking his hand in hers. "The following week it happened again but with a different selection, I thanked him, and he took it upon himself to join me, it took off from there."

"I needed a reason to talk to her," Jesse admitted. "I had nowhere to be; I actually waited each day at the bakery until she came back in a week later," he shyly said.

"You were whipped before you even really knew her," Wade laughed.

"It is sweet if you look past the stalkerish tendency there," Zoe responded with a giggle. "Is that how you get all your friends and girlfriends by stalking them?"

"I wasn't stalking you; I was following you to make sure you were okay because you refused to talk to me," he defended himself. "And no, I don't stalk anyone," he huffed out.

"Dude, that is considered stalking," Wade informed him with a chuckle.

"Whatever they were for good reasons," Jesse said with an eye roll.

"I have to admit something," Willow said speaking up, after their food was brought out to them. "Like I've said before I heard a lot about Zoe, and I really thought I was going to have a chat with you about backing off from Jesse, so I could be with him, it didn't even matter that you were with Wade; from an outside standpoint, it was like you were using one to get the other, the other in this case being, Jesse," she quickly got out, feeling bad about her judgment now that she has met Zoe. "I was wrong; I see now just how in love you two are with each other."

"We are engaged to be engaged in the near future," Wade stated.

"I've never heard of that before," Willow stated. It didn't make much sense to her.

"We have talked about it, with everything we have been through, and we will be getting married in the future, just not quite yet; he has even talked to my dad about it asking for permission so when the time does come he only has to ask. I don't know when if will happen so I'll still be surprised," she explained the best she could without going into great detail about their past and what they had overcome, she didn't want to be there all night talking about Wade and herself.

"Trust me, it makes perfect sense for those two," Jesse tossed in. He got it and as best friend and brother, he didn't want them to rush into anything, especially marriage if they weren't ready for it.

"Tell us about you Willow. What do you do? How big is your family? We want to know about you," Wade said, stealing a bite of Zoe's food. He in return offered her a bite of his food.

"You two are just so cute it's disgusting," Willow commented with a smile. "I was raised by my father. My mom died of breast cancer. My dad never remarried. I'm the oldest of four kids, the only girl too; I was 10 when my mom passed away. I am working on opening my own little ice cream shop in Bluebell," she rattled off. "Oh and I was born in Oklahoma but raised in Georgia, went to school in California and moved to Fairhope two years ago," she tacked on as an afterthought.

From there they talked and joked about different things having a good night out making new friends. Zoe and Willow made plans to hang out the following week; she even invited her new friend out for the girls' night she was planning on having in the upcoming week or two. It was a fun night to have. For Wade and Zoe, the night only got better when they got home, enjoying each other.


	19. Chapter 19

_**This chapter got away from me, all for a good reason. I'm sad to say that this one only has one chapter left. But, like I have said chapters ago, there will be a sequel, a short one however as it will see them a few years in the future as a family.**_

 _ **You haven't yet check out Web of Lies please do as that will be the next story I will be putting my focus on.**_

 _ **Enjoy!**_

* * *

 **~Over a year later~**

"What is this?" Zoe asked coming home from a long day of work; she was hungry and coming home to see that her boyfriend made dinner, was always a happy sign. She spent her morning in Mobile and her afternoon at the practice filling in for her father.

"We are celebrating," he grinned, placing a plate of food in front of her, wine already on the table. She looked at him expectantly, waiting for him to say more. "Us," he replied, joining her at the table.

"Us? Our one-year anniversary was three months ago," she commented, running her fingers over a pink petal of the vase of flowers sitting in the center of the table. That had been a memorable night. He recreated their first date as a couple, movie, dinner, a walk or two around town, getting to second base in the backseat of his car down a dirt road, an old country song playing on the radio. And some once they made it home.

"Then say yes," he said, getting on bended knee before her. He took her left hand in his, kissing her knuckles. "We have been best friends; we have dated; we have been enemies and through all of that I never stopped loving you, Zoe. You are my pillar of strength, my saving grace; you're everything to me and more. This here with you that is all I want, for the rest of my life, our life. I want to call you my wife, marry me?"

"Yes," she whispered, crashing her lips upon his.

Over the past year, they were at a place in their lives where they had a system about things. It was a bit tricky when Wade started school to find time for each other, fights happened more than once not just over one thing either. She supported him in going back to school, helped him when she could, but she did miss just spending time with him where there were no talks about school work or work at the hospital or the practice. With time, they managed to figure it out. There was no time to think about their future and plan a wedding. The thing was he couldn't wait any longer; he lost his patients on waiting. The time was never going to be right, not unless he made it the right time.

"I wasn't lucky enough to get my mom's wedding ring." He was given a necklace, that he had already given to Zoe when they were 17, a necklace he had yet to see again. The urge to ask was there, but he refrained from doing so not wanting to start a fight if it came to that. He wanted to celebrate their engagement, not fight with her.

"It is stunning," she assured him, taking a closer look at her new favorite piece of jewelry. It was an Abbraccio Swirl engagement ring with an aery backdrop for a round diamond with a wildly popular pave band. There are diamonds accenting the shank of the ring and four small diamonds set in each prong. It was stunning to her and meant just as much to her even though it wasn't his mom's ring.

"Just like my fiancée," he grinned seeing the blush run across her cheeks. "Let's start with dessert shall we," he smirked.

She didn't need to be told twice.

* * *

"I don't want a big wedding," she told him a few days later, over lunch, she had used every spare second she had to plan out the wedding and one thing was for sure; she didn't need it to be over the top. The simpler it was the better it was going to be for them. She didn't need a grand spectacular wedding to show her love for Wade, she showed her love for him every day. "Small and intimate."

"If that is what you want, I am fine with anything, as long as I can call you my wife at the end of the ceremony." A quick exchange of I do at the courthouse would be good for him. "You do know that the town will show up whether they are invited or not," he checked with her. It was meant to be a joke, but the more he thought about it, the more it was likely they would try something like that.

"I know; I haven't found a way to avoid the townspeople from crashing it," she remarked with a soft sigh. It seemed ridiculous to think like that, but she wouldn't put it past anyone of them; she loved them all in different ways. "I know they care and they have watched us grow from the babies our parents brought home, and in many ways they are family. I don't want our wedding to be a big circus act. All I want is our close friends and our family to be there."

"We could marry in secret," he suggested. "If you truly want it to be small and family and friends only we can figure something out. We have no rush on getting married, Zoe."

"We have taken everything else slow, and I don't want to draw our engagement out any longer than necessary," she told him, placing her hand on top of his. "I am ready to be your wife."

"And I am ready to be your husband," he replied, leaning over to kiss her cheek. "If we could walk into the church and get married right now, I'd do it," he shared with her. He arched an eyebrow seeing the coy smile on her pretty little lips. "What are you thinking?"

"We can do that," she replied, getting up. "Get your family there and I will get my family there. Lemon is my maid of honor; we call the rest and get them there. I will call to make sure that Reverend Mayfair is free," she suggested happily.

"I don't have a tuxedo and you don't have a dress or flowers; we can't get married now, can we?" He asked, getting up, the idea sounding better to him the more he thought about it.

"I do have a dress; it is at my dad's place," she informed him. "We can wait until tomorrow, if that would help you get that tuxedo you don't want to wear," she teased.

"Tomorrow it is," he smiled, pulling his fiancée to him. "Are you sure about this?" He questioned once more.

"Very," she replied. "As long as it is you, I am marrying the setting doesn't matter to me. Are you okay with this?" She questioned.

"Perfectly okay," he responded, capturing her lips for a kiss.

* * *

"I wouldn't expect anything less," Jesse said, watching his brother, get his tie in order. "I only figured we would have been here sooner."

"We needed to make sure, after everything, we couldn't jump from being nothing but a memory to each other to a relationship straight to getting married. That would have been a disaster, Jesse," he told his brother, turning to look at him. "Do I look good enough to marry her?"

"Good enough," Jesse teased, getting up from his chair. "Though I'm confident you could look anything other than spectacular, and she wouldn't care. She is marrying you because she loves you, and I'm not sure how that happened," Jesse teased.

"Me neither, I was a needy, selfish, arrogant ass," he chuckled. "I did something right and I will keep doing that," he shared.

"You love her in return; that is all you need to do, brother. Now let's get you married," Jesse grinned, happy for his brother and his best friend. For a while he didn't think this day would ever come for the two of them, thought that he was wrong about the love they still shared. He, however, was very pleased to learn he had been right all along.

"Ya know; I always thought you would be here first," Wade commented, taking his place at the front of the church.

"I didn't," Jesse told him. "I thought this wedding would've happened years ago; I was wrong back then, and I'm right about you two now and that feels amazing," Jesse smirked smugly.

"I'm going to regret having you as my best man when I have to hear your arrogant self-righteous speech," Wade told his brother seriously, looking out over the family and friends waiting for the wedding to start, George slowly making his way to the front to join the groom and best man.

"Oh yes, you will," Jesse laughed, clapping him on the back.

While the men joked around waiting for the bride to be ready, said bride was looking her reflection over in the mirror. Her hair was done up in an elegant twist; her dress was simple with beaded lace straps and a sweetheart neckline.

"It is okay to be nervous on your wedding day." Zoe looked at Lemon through the mirror.

"Is it okay not to be nervous?" Zoe questioned. "He has been part of my life since the beginning. It feels natural to be here, ready to marry him," she smiled. "He's going to be my husband," she giggled.

"I will help you run, if you have the sudden urge," Vivian said, from the other side of the room, where she was touching up her make-up.

"After all the work you did to help Jesse, the second I was out that door; you would run straight to Wade and inform him," Zoe stated feigning shock. "I would much rather be next to him than away from him ever again."

"Then let's go get you married," Lemon stated, handing her a bouquet of peach-colored Ranunculus. "I'll get Harley," she informed the bride, making her exit from the room.

"You are right; I would get your groom if you were to run, Zoe Wilkes you make for one stunning bride; Zoe and Wade won't remember how to breathe when he sees you," Vivian told her.

"Thank you, Vivian, for all of it. Schemes included," Zoe smiled, hugging her cousin gently not to add any wrinkles in her dress.

"Sweetie you are a vision," Harley gasped, getting misted eyed seeing his daughter so grown up.

"Thanks daddy, can you?" She asked holding up a necklace. Harley smiled.

"I remember the day he gave you this necklace," Harley said, hooking the ends together. "You were so happy, like you are now."

"I'll forever be the anchor to his heart," she recited the words Wade used giving her the necklace. It was his mom and she was touched that he would give it to her. A sobbing mess when he was done with his speech. The pendent was a silver heart, an anchor hanging in the middle of the heart.

"Shall we?" Harley asked, holding his arm out to his daughter. She smiled, picking her bouquet up, hooking her arm with her fathers, ready to marry the love of her life.

"Are you ready for Wade to be your son?" She asked, taking a deep breath.

"I think I can cope," he teased.

Back with Wade who was starting to get anxious waiting for his bride to be ready. He wasn't afraid that she was getting cold feet, more afraid that something was going wrong for her, and he couldn't fix it because he wasn't allowed to see his bride. She was gone before he woke up this morning. A note telling him she couldn't wait to be his wife resting on her pillow were the only words he got from her thus far into the day. He perked up when the music started to play and Vivian walked in, followed by Lemon.

His breath hitched in his throat seeing his bride, a stunning vision in white. His lips curled into a smile as she grew closer. Everything around him fell away as he focused on his bride, Jesse nudging him forward to accept Zoe's hand from Harley.

"Today we have gathered in this place of natural beauty to be joyful, in celebration of the relationship of Wade and Zoe. By their commitment to marry each other, they are saying yes to love, yes to caring, yes to the family. May the spirit of God–which is in the blue sky, in the wind, and in the fresh smells of the Earth–enter your bodies, fill your hearts, and bless your lives. Have you come here in the midst of these natural surroundings to affirm your commitment to each other?" Reverend Mayfair questioned.

"We have," Wade and Zoe said together.

"Please share your vows with each other."

He tried to listen to what Reverend Mayfair was saying, it was static to his ears; he did hear the deep breaths that Zoe took to calm her racing heart. He own heart pounding loudly in his own ears.

"Vows, Wade," Jesse coughed, getting their friends and family to laugh.

"Right," Wade chuckled. "I'm better at this, but you Zoe Wilkes have taken everything from me today," he smiled. "I fell in love with you without knowing it. You have always been a constant in my life, except when you weren't and when you weren't there I felt as if I was drowning. You are my life support. Everything I could want or need in life, is right here with you, Zoe. You are my best friend, my light, my heart, my soul, my life, and above all else my love. I promise to give you the world and everything that comes with that." By the end of his vows, he was wiping away the tears cascading down his bride's cheeks.

"You are my best friend, and life was amazing; I didn't need anything else; I was a fool for ever thinking that I did. I loved you not so secretly, you my dear groom were blind, standing here pledging my life to you; I will forgive you for the errors of your way," she smiled, licking her lips. "I went out and lived the dream I said I would, in the end I realized I was living the wrong dream, because you were no longer in it. This here with you is everything I could ever ask for, a life with you. I am whole with you; I loved you before you knew your feelings for me, I love you now, and I will love you more with each passing day; you are my heart and soul, Wade for eternity; I promise you that and more," she finished.

"The rings," Rev. Mayfair said, Jesse and Lemon coming forward.

"Zoe, this ring I give you, my personal gift and my personal promise, of love and trust, and pride that you are my wife. We will wear these rings, and the world will know that I am yours, and you are mine," he recited slipping the simple gold band on her finger.

"Wade, this ring I give you, my personal gift and my personal promise, of love and trust, and pride that you are my husband. We will wear these rings, and the world will know that I am yours, and you are mine," she recited, siding the simple gold band on his finger.

"By the state of Alabama, I now pronounce you man and wife, you may kiss your bride."

Wade wasted no time pulling Zoe into his arms, molding his lips with hers, not able to get enough, he didn't want to over do it; they were in a church, and her father was watching.

"For the first time I give to you Mr. and Mrs. Wade Kinsella."

* * *

In the little time, they had planned their wedding; a reception was the one thing they had not put much thought into, so color them shocked when they saw town square set up for a party. A table for the bride and groom sat on a stage overlooking the festivities, a mic on the opposite end of the stage. Tables were filled with food, a magnificent wedding cake with multiple tiers. Music notes on one tier and a few doctor supplies on another tier. The groom on top of the cake was made holding a guitar and the bride holding a stethoscope to her groom's chest fitting the couple perfectly. It was the perfect present from everyone in town.

It was later in the day after they had danced their first dance as a married couple, cut the cake which didn't go all over each other, tossing the bouquet which Willow caught and the garter that Jesse won with the highest bid and many kisses later, Jesse put a pause on the celebration.

"Wade has been a thorn in my side since he was brought home from the hospital, I thought it would be awesome to have a little brother; boy was I wrong," he chuckled. "I don't wish him upon my worst enemy let alone a dear friend of mine. Zoe, we have not always been on the best of terms, for whatever reasons and I cannot thank you enough for taking him off my hands. We all would be lucky to find love like you two hold; it is love that makes the rest of us sick with envy; you make finding your soulmate easy," he said, stopping to think through what he had wanted to say. "I only pushed you two together because someone had to do it, you both are alike and refuse to cave first. I am afraid that I was taking fate in my hands, and the payout was worth it. You can repay me by naming your firstborn after me," he smirked, holding his glass up. "To Wade and Zoe, to love," he toasted. "Welcome to the family, Zoe. It will be a pleasure to have you as a best friend and my sister."

"We are not naming our firstborn after him," Wade said seriously through a smile.

"And give your brother a bigger ego about this all, I think not," Zoe assured him, resting her hand on his arm.

"How can one ever compete with Jesse's logic?" Lemon questioned, taking her place at the mic. "I won't demand you name any of your kids after me," she assured the newlyweds, getting laughs. "I may not be Zoe's sister by blood, that doesn't change the fact that she is my sister in every way that matters. This day has been a long time in the making. Like many people believed, I believed in the opposite. We don't see true love enough; it is hard and rare to find; you found it as teens, let it go for what you thought was the better good in life, I do agree with Jesse; you both are stubborn, please don't let your stubbornness get in the way. I held on to the belief that you would find your way back even while I was mad at you, Zoe Kinsella. I could share one of the many embarrassing stories I have, but it would be no fun as he knows them all, by being attached to you, Zoe," she huffed through a smile. "With that being said, here is to happiness and delight in you two finding your way once more. To Wade and Zoe," she toasted, raising her glass, before taking a drink.

With the celebration winding down, Zoe and Wade made their exits, ready to consummate their marriage.


	20. Chapter 20

_**Last chapter for this one. Sorry for any mistakes you find. This chapter was supposed to be something else entirely, however I ended up going a different direction. I do suggest that if you are emotional you should have some tissues nearby, I about came to tears a few times while writing this.**_

 _ **To the guest reviewer yes, Candice and Ethan were there, for one reason or another it slipped my mind to have them in a scene but they were there being civil with Harley and dancing with Wade and Zoe, sorry for that.**_

 _ **Thank you to everyone that has followed along with this story and thank you to those of you that have simply read it and thank you to everyone that has left reviews along the way.**_

* * *

"Momma can we go see Daddy?" A 4-year-old Jessica asked, climbing onto the porch swing her dolly in hand. While naming their daughter, they did not take anything in, they simply found a name, they both liked, despite Jesse having a field day with it.

"We can go see Daddy after lunch, first we gotta go met Uncle Jesse and Aunt Willow to find you the perfect little dress," she reminded her daughter. After 3 years of being together, they got engaged and now after being engaged for a little over a year they were ready for the ceremony itself. There had been multiple setbacks along the way, making Jesse question, whether getting married was something he still wanted after all the bad things he was dealt. For a while, marriage was no longer a top priority for him. Nevertheless, they couldn't wait forever, and they had to move on with their lives.

"I miss him, Momma. Can we bring Daddy home?" She asked with a little tremble of her lower lip.

"I miss, Daddy too, sweetie," Zoe replied, putting her cup of tea to the side, moving her daughter to her lap. Jessica curling up to her mom, as Zoe gentle pushed the swing back and forth. "I wish everyday we could bring Daddy home, but we can't do that," she sadly told her daughter.

"Will he ever be able to come home?" Jessica questioned quietly a soft sob escaping.

Zoe went to answer, rubbing her daughters back, when there was a soft wail coming from inside the house. Kissing her daughter's head, she asked her daughter, "Want to help Mommy get Colin ready to go?"

Jessica's little green eyes lit up, scurrying off her mom's lap to help with her baby brother. Zoe smiled following behind her daughter. Days were hard to get through when both of your children looked like your husband. Giving up was so easy and within her reach, seeing the smiles on her kids faces each day was worth living for.

"There's Mommy's sweet boy," Zoe cooed picking her four month-old son up, kissing his head and gently bouncing him to get his cries to let up.

"Here Momma," Jessica said, holding a little outfit up for her mom to put on her baby brother. "Kiss Momma, kiss," she pleaded. Smiling Zoe bent down so Jessica could kiss her little brother on the head. "Momma loves you and I love you and Daddy loves you lots, though he not here," she told her baby brother.

"Your sister is right, buddy; we love you, all three of us, don't forget that," Zoe smiled, laying him down to change him. "Jessica can you find your shoes and put them on please?" Zoe asked, tickling her son's tummy, getting his little chubby legs to kick and his little chubby arms to move.

"Momma, this the right foot?" She asked, holding her foot up for Zoe to see.

"No sweetie, that shoe goes on your left foot," she informed her daughter.

"Uncle Jesse is here to help," he said, easily finding the little family. With it being just the three of them, he helped out as much as he could when he could, which was most days, but yet, not enough to him. "Can sweet little Jessica tell Uncle Jesse which foot is her left foot?" He asked, tickling her socked covered feet.

"I thought we were meeting you in Mobile?" Zoe questioned, finishing getting her baby boy ready to go.

"Willow had something she needed to do in Fairhope; I wasn't allowed to go along, considering I am the groom," he replied, switching from his conversation with Zoe to the one he was having with his niece. "Good job, munchkin," he smiled, tying the shoe for her. "You in a hurry to get rid of me?" He questioned with a smirk.

"Never," Zoe replied. "We are going to see Wade today; she misses him and…" She trailed off, her eyes burning with tears.

"Hey now, Zo," he said softly, hugging her, Colin between them safely. "We all miss him and if I could bring him back, I would do that, I would gladly take his place, so he could be here with his family," he told her for what he thought was the hundredth time in the past two weeks.

"Jessie hug too," Jessica stated, squirming her way into the hug.

"I can stay when you go visit him, if you need me to," he suggested.

"Thanks for the offer," she smiled, breaking the hug. "We will be fine, afterwards we have a dinner with Grandpa, don't we sweetie?"

"Uh huh, Momma says I can stay the night," she beamed at her Uncle.

"Your Grandpa will like that," Jesse replied, picking us niece up. "We ready to go?" He questioned.

"Just about," Zoe said, buckling Colin into his car seat. She had made sure the diaper bag didn't need anything added to it when her baby boy was sound asleep, and she was left awake to watch the sunrise on her own. She found sleep was hard to come by these days.

"Daddy's picture," Jessica said getting her uncle to walk to the kitchen where the drawing was laying on the counter. "When can my Daddy come home?" She quietly asked Jesse.

Not knowing how to answer that question he went with the best answer he could give her. "Your daddy is home; he is right here," he said pointing to her heart. "Your Daddy will always remain in your heart. His love will stay with you forever. Daddy is never far away, sweet pea. He is everywhere you look; you are part of your Daddy."

Jessica buried her face into her Uncle's neck, her tears wetting his skin and dampening his shirt collar; he didn't care. He rubbed his niece's back gently rocking her, letting her cry. Zoe peeked around the corner to see what was going on, she let them be, having a feeling that not only did Jessica need the comfort of her Uncle, but her Uncle needed the comfort as well.

* * *

"Momma, I princess," Jessica beamed, twirling around in her light orange dress with glitter and rhinestones. A tiara now lopsided on her little head.

"You are a beautiful princess, love," Zoe smiled at her daughter, remembering to take a few pictures. Orange was her favorite color, and Jesse had insisted that they have orange a color in their wedding so his niece could wear an orange dress instead of a yucky pink one as she kindly referred to it as. To see his niece so happy after the events of the morning it was the least he could do.

"Come sweetheart, let's find you a pair of shoes," Willow suggested holding her hand out to the little girl.

"I no shoes," she stated shaking her head, her light-brown hair flying around her. Zoe was worried the tiara was going to go flying off, but it stayed put. Ever since she could pull her shoes off by herself, she refused to wear shoes if she didn't have to. She would much rather run around in bare feet.

"Sweetie you need to find a pair of shoes," Zoe told her daughter.

"Tell you what, mini me, you will only have to wear them while outside; I will let you walk down the aisle bare foot, and you can run around at the reception without them on, but you have to wear them outside, deal?" Jesse asked, holding his hand out to his niece.

"Deal," she smiled, knowing she had just won that battle, shaking her uncle's hand.

"Thank you for that," Zoe smiled at Jesse. "I don't get where she gets the no shoes' thing from. Sometimes she is so good and puts them on no problem and other times it's a fight to put them on. I wasn't like that, Wade wasn't like that, was he?" She questioned.

"He was for a while," Jesse shared with her. "You were lucky you missed his diva fits. You were the prize if he put them on. I don't know how many times I heard _if you don't put your shoes on you won't be seeing Zoe today,_ " he chuckled. "That might be why I didn't like you so much back then, that and the fact that he always had you, and I didn't have a friend like you guys had," he told her.

"I should inform you that I didn't like you because you always looked grumpy," she laughed.

"I was not grumpy," he retorted, feeling offended at that, making Zoe laugh harder.

"Looked like it," she retorted, laying a hand on his shoulder. "You have a friend like that now, Jesse. I won't leave you behind; I do need you in my life," she told him, looking down at her son, gently rocking him in his car seat. "It has been four months, and he didn't even get to see his son," she sadly told him. "He was happy he was getting a boy too."

"I know, Zoe," Jesse replied, putting his arm around her. "It goes without saying that I need you as much as you need me. He will meet his son one day, Zoe, don't lose that faith; we need to be strong and keep believing," he told her, his words hard for him to do at times.

"I try, Jesse," she sighed, wiping at her eyes. "It is harder some days than others."

"Momma we see Daddy now?" Jessica asked, running up to her mom in her normal clothes, now that she found shoes for her dress. Putting a stop to the adult conversation.

"After we eat," she promised her oldest.

"I not hungry," the little girl protested, crossing her arms over her chest, her stomach grumbling.

"Is that so?" Zoe asked with an amused look on her face. Jessica nodded her head. "Not even for your favorite deli sandwich and yogurt?" The little girl shrugged, wanting just that, but refusing to back down from going to see her father. "What if we got the food to go and ate it with Daddy? Would you be hungry then?"

"I think so," she answered casually, her eyes lightening up at the very idea of it. "We get flowers for Daddy too?" She asked, picking up her brother's diaper bag to carry it out to the car.

"Daddy would like that, very much," Zoe said. "Say bye to your Aunt and Uncle." Jessica nodded, going to hug Willow first.

"You need anything afterwards, don't hesitate to call; I'll be there," he told Zoe, hugging her tightly. She nodded against his shoulder.

* * *

With their lunch in hand, they made their way to where Wade was at. Zoe helped Jessica get situated next to him on the bed. She kissed her father's cheek, the beeping noise music to her little ears.

"I promise to tell you things once I eat, Daddy," she said, waiting for her mom to get her food ready for her to eat off the little table. "I drew a picture for you, and Momma helped pick flowers out," she stated, taking a bite of her sandwich.

With her daughter taken care of she went to feed her baby boy who was starting to fuss in his seat. "Mommy will feed you sweet one, and then you can lay down in Daddy's arms for a little nap," she promised her son sitting down in the only chair in the room.

She smiled listening to her daughter talk between bites of food of all the things that had gone on since the last time she had visited her father a week ago. Once a week for the past four months, Zoe would bring her kids in to see their father. She tried to do it more than that, but it was too hard on all of them. Between family and friends, they had come up with a schedule as not to leave Wade alone. On the days, Zoe worked in Mobile, she would stop in and visit her husband. Seeing him in a coma never got any easier on her.

He didn't even get the chance to see his son being born, as he was in Fairhope that day helping out with a music class when she had gone into labor, and he was going faster than he should have been going, swerving from hitting a dog that ran out into the road, causing him to flip the car and ended up in the coma, looking better each day. If he was to wake up that was on him now.

 _ **Keep an eye out for the sequel Waiting on You.**_


End file.
